Take Me Away From Here
by HidekoChan90
Summary: Part 2 of "Do You Wish it was Me?" Misty and Brock take their relationship to a whole new level and find themselves in a less than perfect circumstance. Warnings: Strong Sexual content Lemons , Strong language and Adult Situations
1. All We Ever Find

Chapter 10

By the end of the night, Misty was glad she had decided to come to the party after-all. The images of Ash and Tracy together had virtually faded in her immediate conscious and she had learned Brock was a very good kisser.

He had taken her outside of the building and he pressed her back against the brick wall and kissed her again. She kissed him back, running her fingers through his hair and feeling that desire become stronger than ever.

Then she realized…

Maybe her marriage was in shambles. But his wasn't. It was going to be if they got caught like this however.

He trapped his against the wall and trailed sweet, tender kisses down her neck. She grabbed on to his shirt and bit her bottom lip to keep from making any sounds. Misty knew by now that the more sinful something was, the better it felt.

"Brock…"

His hands were on her hips and they traveled downwards, hiking her skirt up until he ran his finger across the damp cotton of her panties. "Yes, Beautiful?"

Why did he have to call her names like that? It only made her want him more and that was probably his intentions.

She grabbed onto his shoulders and stiffened as she felt the jolt of her arousal. "Don't you have to go and get Lucy?"

"I'm not worried about Lucy right now, Misty." His voice was gruff and deep and held a slight sound of frustration. "And I know you're not either." He kissed down her neck and to her shoulders, pulling down the straps of her dress and kissing every inch of available skin.

"I don't want to get caught…" Her eyes scanned the area. It was dark and desolate. No one was out here. There was a dumpster across the empty lot that smelled terrible, even from a few yards away.

"I don't get caught." He kissed her lips again and he brought her leg up around his waist and she pulled him closer to her, reveling in the sensation of him between her legs. It made her desire even stronger.

Finally, he pulled away from her and she balanced herself on her feet. "Let's rent a room upstairs?"

Her slow, hazed mind took a minute to register. "What? Are you crazy?" Misty pushed herself from the wall. The idea was so tempting she just wanted to jump into his arms and have him carry her upstairs to one of the luxurious rooms, but she couldn't do that to Lucy.

Lucy adored Brock.

"I'm not crazy. I'm a guy." Brock turned to look at her. "Welcome to the real world, Sweetheart. If you're going to kiss me like that and allow me to touch you like that I'm going to get turned on and bring you upstairs."

"You're married!"

"Haven't you ever heard of an affair?"

Misty folded her arms and stomped her foot. "You're just trying to use me, aren't you? You just want sex from me!" She stood in front of him and looked him in the eye. Her voice faltered. He had gorgeous, dark eyes. "Well, you're not getting it."

Brock rolled his eyes and sighed. "Misty, if it was sex I wanted I could take my drunk wife home and get all the sex I could handle! Hell, I could even go out here and pay for it. But nothing would be as satisfying as making love to you. Nothing ever will be, either." His hands were on her shoulders and she shivered at his touch.

"I don't…know if I'm ready…"

"You're right. I'm sorry." He leaned against the wall and shove his fists into his pockets. "I'm being too pushy. We don't have to do anything. You just want to go back inside and dance with me, then?"

Yes, that was probably the best option, even though that was probably the last thing on her mind. The two of them walked back inside and the smell of cigarettes and alcohol were prominent after being outside in the fresh air for so long.

"By the way, where are you going to stay tonight? Here in Cerulean?" Brock pulled her close to him, resting his hand on the small of her back.

"I have no other choice. I have to stay with my sisters." She looked up at him through the dim, smoky atmosphere.

"You could…stay with me…" He suggested smoothly, almost in a playful way. Misty assumed he wasn't serious. He never was.

"I don't think that's such a good idea." She replied coyly

"Why not? Afraid you won't be able to resist me?"

"Well, aren't you Mr. Confident?" Her eyes sparkled as she stared up at him. She couldn't remember a time she had been so happy to be with a man like this.

"I am." He kissed her again, but then looked up to the lounge area. The wide double doors were open and he almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. Lucy was curled up on the couch, sloshing a cosmopolitan on herself while she laughed and swayed against the same man who was flirting with Misty earlier. "What the hell-"

Misty looked back and saw the same scene Brock was looking at. "What's she doing?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to tell that jerk to stay away from my wife…" Brock pushed past her and she felt her heart sink. _He's still in love with Lucy. No matter what he says or what he does, he'll always love her!_ Misty felt herself wanting to cry. Why had she gotten her hopes up so high that he might actually fall in love with her?

It was stupid.

She watched him walk a little ways towards the lounge but then he stopped and turned around, and started heading back towards her. Misty stood perfectly still until he reached her and when he did he kissed her yet again.

This time, she pushed him away very reluctantly. "Wh-what was that for?"

"She's kissing that guy! I'll bet you anything Barbara told her about us and now she's getting her revenge!" Brock loosened his necktie. "I hate that damn bitch!"

"My, my…" Barbara's voice churned his stomach and he looked at her as she dangled her car keys from her finger. "why are you so angry? Gee, it's such a double standard. You can practically have sex with this little tramp but Lucy can't make out with another hot guy?"

"You watch what you say about Misty!" Brock stood up to her and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, don't start! I know she's still a virgin. I mean, look at her. Not even her own husband would sleep with her." Barbara gave an appreciative laugh. "You on the other hand, you'll fuck anything as long as it's female."

"Shut up, Bitch. And get the fuck out of here!"

"By the way, I didn't say a word to Lucy, so you can stop being such an asshole about it, ok?" She shook her head and walked away, grabbed her husband by the arm and dragged him out the door.

"God, I feel sorry for that guy." Brock shook his head and turned around. "Ignore her. She's an idiot."

"I know…" Misty looked away from him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Brock was concerned she may have been upset about Barbara's comment about her marriage. He knew it was a sensitive subject for her, especially today.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Was it what Barbara said?"

She shook her head.

"Then what is it?"

"You're just getting all jealous over Lucy and Rudy and…you completely forgot about me." She looked up at him and an unfamiliar guilt washed over him. He wiped the tear away that fell on her cheek and looked into her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize…I just…I don't know." Brock looked down for a moment and chose his words carefully. "I just don't like to see another man kissing my wife."

"I thought you didn't care about Lucy. You always say how much you're not worried about her when you're with me."

He had to admit, she had him there. "I-it's a guy thing. Look, Misty, I really do care about you. Everything we've done, everything we have…means a lot to me. You mean a lot to me."

"Don't hurt me, Brock. I've had enough of that for one day."

"I don't want to hurt you, Misty…." He stared down at her, trailing his fingers over her cheek in an almost unbearable sensuous caress. "I want to…love you. I want to make you feel special. Like no one ever has."

"I don't know if I can trust you." Her words pierced through him like a knife.

"Listen, can we go upstairs and talk?" Brock asked her and she grinned a little.

"I'm not stupid."

"I won't try anything. I swear. I won't even kiss you if you don't want me to." He held his hands up as he promised to show her he wasn't crossing anything. "Just talk."

"Alright…"

* * *

As soon as she stepped into the very expensive room, which was filled with the muffled sound of the music downstairs, she knew exactly what was going to happen. It wasn't anything Brock said or did, it was just a feeling. A feeling she was welcoming.

She could just see herself sprawled out on the bed, looking up at him and begging him to take her -to show her- how sex was supposed to feel. She wondered if it would be anything like what everyone else said it was.

"Are you angry with me?"

"No." Misty shook her head and sat down on one of the double twin beds. They were firm, but comfortable and a stuff, starched quilt lay across it and she brushed her hand over it. She imagined them rumpled and disorganized.

"I'm not angry." She finally said. "I have no right to be. Lucy's your wife. I'm just some woman you're messing around with…" She eyed him audaciously.

Brock stuffed his fists into his pockets and sat down next to her stiffly. He promised he wouldn't touch her, or kiss her. "You are so much more than that, Misty."

"Yea right."

"You are! Why do you think I'm trying so damn hard to make you happy? I just spent an entire evening with you when I could have spent it with Lucy. What does that tell you?"

"That you're a jerk…"

He laughed and stood up, an arrogant smile was plastered on his face. "You are so unpredictable."

Misty looked up at him as he stood in front of her, the lower half of his legs pressed against the other bed. Brock looked remarkably handsome in his dress shirt and tie, black slacks and shiny black shoes.

She stood up. "Is that a bad thing?"

He shook his head. "No. It's refreshing. I like surprises."

Misty retreated until her back was against the wall. If Brock took her in his arms, it would be disastrous. Every inch of her body was crying out for him.

"You're so wrong about me, Sweetheart." Stepping towards her, Brock removed his hands from his pockets. He was going to break his promise, he couldn't help it. Just being alone in this room with her was getting to him… "I'm not a jerk."

And he realized he didn't love Lucy quite enough to stop himself.

She was pinned between the wall and Brock and her breathing grew rapid, her chest was pressed against his and he looked down into her eyes. "I know you want me. I can see it in your eyes. That pretty little head of yours is filled with so many dirty thoughts about me you can't stand it."

Damn, he was good.

"You can't prove that." Misty said in a shaky voice, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"I could prove you wrong." His hand was up her skirt again and she felt herself surrendering completely. She hated herself for not putting up much of a fight. After all, what would be thought of her if anyone found out she had slept with Lucy's husband?

Not that she was worried about her own marriage, because that had fallen apart before it even started.

"You promised you wouldn't try anything." She whispered.

"When?" His palm was warm against her thigh.

"You said you just wanted to talk." She knew that wasn't all that he wanted. That's why she came up here because that's not all she wanted either. He tugged at thin string of her panties at her hip.

"I lied." He tangled his fingers in her hair and stared down at her with a molten expression. "We both know I lied."

Not able to bear it any longer, she pulled him down to her and kissed him.

Brock put his arms around her and pulled her gently towards him, giving her a chance to pull away if she wanted to. But how could she? Raw desire drove everything else from her mind. She needed to feel his are body against hers, filling with the ecstasy only he could bring.

"Misty," He groaned out between kisses. "It's going to be so different this time. I'm going to show you how it's supposed to be between a man and a woman."

With a sigh of anticipation, she clasped her arms around his neck and he gently laid her onto the bed. She fumbled with his necktie until it came loose, then she reached for the buttons on his shirt and he smiled down at her.

"I kind of like it when a woman takes control." He softly caressed her shoulders, pulling down her dress straps as he did it. He had already seen her almost naked once, but that was in the dark.

Suddenly, he was being pulled down to her again and her hand found its way into the waist of his slacks, tugging at the belt that kept them secure. He unbuckled his belt and allowed her to do the rest as he peeled off the rest of her deliciously short dress.

His eyes were focused on her breasts, her flat stomach, her voluptuous curves. Those curves he had always wanted to explore. His moved downward, kissing along her hips and thighs teasingly.

She dug her fingers into the bunched muscles of his back, then drug them through his hair. He looked up at her and his hands caressed her thighs as he hovered above her, kissing her again. This time, to reassure her that he would be gentle.

That's when she knew there was no turning back. She was too far into this to just not have sex with him now. She tried not to think about the consequences that tomorrow would bring, the regret that he may have, that she may have.

No, she would completely focus on Brock and share this moment with him. Even if it was the only thing they'd ever have.

"I want this to be so good for you. For us." He rested his forehead against hers, his hands still rubbing small circles on her thighs, igniting the flames that were already licking at her midsection. She need him now, she had never been more ready for anything in her entire life.

"It is already is." She whispered. Misty quivered as he trailed one hand between her legs and stroked her intimately, making her ravenous for him.

"You haven't seen anything yet." He growled sensually and repositioned himself in front of her, locked between her legs and her hand reached down to caress him. Her eyes grew wide.

"Is this…going to hurt?"

"I promise, it's worth it." He lowered his head down and kissed the valley between her breasts before taking one into his mouth. Her flicked his tongue over it until she was thrashing under him, practically pulling him into her with every eager cry of ecstasy.

"I've never wanted anyone like this," she moaned.

He kissed her fiercely and prodded at her entrance as if to warn her of what was to come. When he thrust into her deeply she yelped out at the quick, sharp stinging sensation and tears sprang to her eyes. Then it was gone…

Looking down at her, he brushed a lock of hair from her face and kissed her tears away tenderly. "Are you alright?" He licked the salt from his lips.

Misty nodded and closed her eyes, kissing him again as she raised her hips to meet his, to receive all of him. It was a wonderful, full feeling. To be completed by a man like this was almost miraculous to her. How could anything feel so wonderful?

They moved against each other with total abandon, pulling on the sheets underneath them, knocking the telephone on the night stand to floor. It was wild and crazy and so unpredictable and unrehearsed.

Something he had never experienced with Lucy…or any other girl he had in college.

Misty clutched onto him tightly as wave after wave of sensation swept through her body, thunderous and powerful at first, then spiraling down into a warm glow of satisfaction. She closed her eyes and pressed herself against him as she felt him release inside of her.

He groaned out and roughly pounded into her as his excitement overtook him. It was a strange sensation, but something that made her feel even closer to him than she already was. It was already clear to her what was happening.

She had fallen in love with him.

Then reality sat in. This would only complicate matters.

Sure, when she had agreed to come up here with him, knowing they would have slept together, she thought it would be just sex and then it would be over. But now she felt this strange, inescapable attachment to him.

Brock laid next to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her forehead. "Misty…" He whispered in a tired, lazy voice. His heart still raced, his muscles were still tense, his body was still rigid. He could barely move after that and the last thing he wanted to do was get up, go downstairs, find Lucy and drive home.

"Yes?"

"What if we stay here tonight?"

"What? What about Lucy?" Misty sat up and covered herself with the sheets.

"I saw Forest tonight, I'll call him and ask him to take Lucy home." Brock reached for his cell phone and flipped it open.

"Isn't he going to wonder where you're at?"

"I'll tell him I had a little too much to drink so I rented a room here for the night." He held the phone up to his ear and somehow Misty knew Brock was an expert at hiding secret affairs. The awful idea of her being just one many entered her mind again and she leaned back against her pillow.

"Isn't he going to wonder why Lucy isn't just staying with you?"

"He won't question." Brock promised her confidently. She tried to relax as he exchanged words with his brother. A small argument broke out, but eventually Brock won and then hung up. "I can always get my little brother to do anything I want."

She smiled at him and laid her head on her pillow, enjoying the warmth from him. If only this could be real. If only this could be forever. But it was only for tonight and she decided she was going to enjoy it.

"We better get some sleep." He finally spoke to her and she closed her eyes, suddenly realizing she was very tired. His grip around her waist tightened and he pulled her into him, kissing the curve of her neck and shoulder.

Misty felt a shiver travel from the top of her spine all the way down to her toes and she wished so badly that he would do it again. His hands ran up and down the curve of her hips cyclically.

"Goodnight, Sweetheart." He whispered to her in the darkness and she felt something inside her. Something inside her that made her want to cry and laugh at the same time.

"Goodnight, Brock." She spoke in a shaky voice and enjoyed the feeling of her skin against his as she drifted off to sleep.


	2. When She Wakes Up And Finds Me Gone

Chapter 11

The next morning, Misty woke up with a start. The first thing she realized was that she was alone. Brock's warm embrace was no longer around her like it was when she had fallen asleep. His clothes were gone, his cell phone no longer lay next to hers on the night stand.

The shower wasn't running and the room was quiet, filled with the early morning noises of late summer. Birds chirping along with the repetitive sounds of the waves crashing against the shore.

Misty lifted herself up in bed and realized immediately she was naked. That's right. She had let Brock take advantage of her vulnerability last night and she was entirely aware of the fact he would do it to.

She wanted him to do it. It was like she was asking to be hurt. And maybe she was.

All of her emotions had seemed numb last night, until she was in that moment with him. When they were as close as two people can possibly get, when he had filled her so completely by making love to her. That was the moment it became obvious to her that she had fallen in love with him.

Somehow she knew she'd wake up in this hotel room alone, but what she didn't expect was a note and that's exactly what she found on his pillow, folded neatly and placed right in the center. She picked it up and read it.

_Last night was amazing._

_You're the most beautiful woman in the world. _

_Don't ever forget that._

Tears came to her eyes. Brock really had no clue, did he? Did he really think this note was going to be enough to comfort her when she woke up and found him gone? No. It wasn't. Because she knew exactly what he had done.

He had woken up early, drove back to Landview and made love to Lucy again to try and banish the guilt he felt for cheating on his wife.

Misty wiped her tears away, wondering if this is what she deserves for giving into such a sinful desire of wanting a married man as badly as she did. But how could she resist? Should a woman really be punished for being attracted to a man like Brock?

It was like putting a diabetic in a candy store. Everything was so tempting, but off limits, and if you crossed those limits there would be dire consequences.

Misty's cell phone rang and she grabbed it, hoping it was Brock but never looking at the screen. "Hello?" Her voice was too hopeful to sound as if she didn't care if he left.

"Misty, like, it's Violet. Are you awake yet?"

It was just her sister and it sounded like she was in a car, driving. She could hear the wind rushing past the mouth piece of the phone. "Uhm…yes…I'm awake." She realized she still hadn't bothered getting dressed yet and she reached down to grab her discarded dress from the floor.

The pale pink evening dress that she was going to feel awfully awkward in this early in the morning. She straightened it out.

"Well, I'm on my way to pick you up. Meet me outside."

"Alright." Misty replied. "Violet…"

"Hm?"

"What all did you hear about last night? I mean, Brock is the one who told you I was here, wasn't he?" Misty's voice was shaky.

"Yea, he told me you had, like, a little too much to drink last night." Violet replied and for minute Misty was relieved. "But I know that's a lie because I know you don't drink. But if you, like, don't want to discuss what really happened, we totally don't have to."

Blushing, Misty stared at herself in the mirror. She suddenly became aware of ever flaw she had, to the freckle on her left hip, to the blemishes on her face. Then, she compared herself to Lucy. Her breasts weren't as large, her legs weren't as long, she wasn't as skinny or pretty or--

Did Brock really mean it when he said she was the most beautiful woman in the world?

"Earth to Misty…?" Violet questioned over the phone.

"Oh, uhm, yea I'll be ready." She hung up the phone and sighed, staring down at the dress in her hands. The same one she remembered Brock taking off of her the night before and how wonderful making love to him had been.

Within fifteen minutes she was downstairs, looking like she was rushing off to a cocktail party after shopping at the Goodwill. Her dress was wrinkled and her hair was uncombed. She climbed into the passenger seat and Violet smiled at her.

"You sure you don't, like, mind staying with Lance and I?" She asked after a moment, referring to her husband, Lance Scavo. Misty never really did get along with her brother-in-law, but she really didn't have a choice. She had to stay with Violet.

"I don't mind." She said with a sigh. "I'll find a way to deal."

Violet looked out the windshield. "So, Misty, you don't seem to, like, have a hangover."

"You're going to pry aren't you?"

"You know it."

Sighing, Misty crossed her legs. "Alright, but you have to promise you won't tell Lucy. Or anyone for that matter, OK? I really hate to kiss and tell…"

"Pinky promise." Violet held out her hand, her pinky extended. Misty wrapped her pinky around her sister's and took a deep breath.

"I slept with Brock."

The car lurched forward as soon as Violet turned the corner onto her neighborhood street and screeched to a halt. Misty's heart raced in her chest. "You did _what_?"

"Why the hell are you so surprised?" asked Misty.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that answer. I thought, like, maybe you met some single, unmarried man there last night and went upstairs with him and… totally 'overslept'." Violet confessed, still reeling from shock. "I didn't know the hottie you were with was Brock!"

"I didn't mean for it to happen. I mean, I did, but…" She trailed off, feeling shame and embarrassment. "You promise you won't tell?"

"I pinky promised, remember?" Violet parked her car in their driveway behind her husband's SUV. Great, he was home and she already knew he wasn't too thrilled with having Misty stay with them for an extended period of time.

Misty wasn't too thrilled with it herself but she didn't have a choice. Ash owned the house and she owned nothing but her Honda which was still parked in his driveway back in Landview. Then, she realized. Half her life was still back in Landview.

Her car, her friends, her favourite shopping malls…and Brock. He was there. How could she live almost an hour away from him. It's not like she could ever inadvertently run into him again like she did that night at the park.

She probably wouldn't see him for a very long time. Maybe Christmas, and that was a huge maybe. They weren't family and they wouldn't even be friends if it wasn't for the fact he was friends with Ash back in high school and they had become mutual friends.

Now they had slept together.

Lance looked at Misty as soon as she came through the door. He was peeling potatoes for a pot roast he was preparing for dinner. "Hi Misty…"

"Hi Lance…" She said politely, then urged Violet to help her with her bags and headed for the staircase. When she was sure he was out of earshot she looked over at her sister. "Do you think I should call Brock later?"

Violet shook her head. "No way! You always make a man, like, call you first. If he doesn't then he's a total jerk and doesn't deserve you anyway."

"But…"

"I don't want you to fall into that trap Misty. Seriously…" She said, putting her suitcases by the wall. "I know after you sleep with a guy you feel like you need them, but you totally don't…Like, OK, I lost my virginity to Gary Oak on prom night and, like, he never bothered speaking to me again…but I did just fine."

"I love him, Violet." Misty's voice shook and she felt so stupid for crying. It had only been an hour since she woke up and found him gone and he was probably at work so of course he wasn't going to call.

And…he did leave her that note.

Of course that didn't mean a damn thing considering she knew Brock and he was probably just trying to soften to blow of going back to his wife after a night of great, meaningless sex.

"Misty…"

"I know, I'm stupid." She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.

"No, you're not." Her sister placed her hand on hers and smiled. "You just need to be careful about him, Misty. He's a total womanizer, but, like, don't worry about it. He'll call, alright?"

She nodded and Violet stood up. "I'll be downstairs with Lance. Dinner's usually around, like, six. I'll be here if you need to talk, OK?"

* * *

Two long weeks had passed since Misty moved back to Cerulean City and left her life in Landview behind. Brock had failed to contact her for the entire two weeks and as September approached, she knew he never would.

It was heart wrenching to realize that her marriage to Ash Ketchum didn't even last a lousy two months and after all those years waiting to save herself for him, she had lost it to a man who probably had forgotten her name.

Sleeping would have been useless. She couldn't sleep, she simply had too much on her mind. There was so many times she had come close to calling Brock, but always hung up right at the last minute because she had remembered what Violet had said.

_Let him call._

Brock wasn't going to call.

Suddenly, her cell phone rang and she thought of how odd it would be to receive a phone call at almost one in the morning. She pulled it from her nightstand and almost couldn't believe what she was seeing.

He _did_ call! It was actually him. So, now that he called. What would she say? Would she ask him why he hadn't contacted her for two weeks? Would she tell him she was in love with him? By the fourth ring, she decided to answer and timidly greeted him.

"Hello?" Her voice was quiet and unsure.

"Hey there, Gorgeous. Long time, huh?" Brock's voice sounded confident and strong. It made her want to clobber him over the head and melt into his arms at the same time.

"Why haven't you tried to call me and check on me for the past two weeks?" Her anger mounted and she paced the room. Her legs were as wobbly as her voice. She hated how he could do this to her.

"Hey, hey, calm down." Misty could hear the smile in his handsome voice. "I meant to call you, but I wasn't sure quite what I would say."

"You could have at least called and said 'Hello'. It was the least you could do after…you know…" Misty trailed off, suddenly feeling shy. "If you were here, I'd kill you, you know that, Brock?"

"Yea?" He asked, chuckling softly. It sent shivers up her spine. "Well, maybe you can."

"What?"

"Look out your window."

No, he didn't. He wouldn't.

Misty scrambled over to her window and pulled up the shades. He leaned against the front grill of his truck, holding his cell phone up to his ear. He waved at her as she looked down at him from the window.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked, never taking her eyes off of him.

"I'm here to see you…" Brock answered obviously. "Come down here. There's a nice breeze coming off from the ocean. Let's take a walk on the beach."

"Brock, it's…one o'clock in the morning."

"I'm aware of that." Suddenly, he hung up his phone and the line buzzed in her ear. She looked down at him and he held his arms open. Rolling her eyes, she felt a mix of annoyance and excitement. Well, she wasn't going to sleep anyway and she was thrilled Brock had actually decided to speak to her again.

Even though it took him more than long enough…

Misty tugged a pair of cut-off shorts over her slender hips and checked her appearance the mirror. Her hair was a little messy, not at all like it was the last time he had seen her. It was long and wavy, falling softly around her shoulders and down her back.

She wondered when she had become to obsessed with her vanity.

Finally, she snuck out of the front door very quietly as not to wake up Violet or Lance. She saw Brock still leaned against the hood of his truck patiently, his gaze was heavenward and but when she approached him he turned his attention towards her and smiled.

"Wow, I almost forget how pretty you are." He said as he watched her walk towards him. He studied her silhouette and he wondered why he hadn't attempted to see her sooner.

Misty saw that same look in his eye. That look he had at Lilly's party when he had asked her to go upstairs with him. It was an inviting warm look, that pulled her to him and there wasn't a thing she could ever do about it.

"Don't try and sweet talk me, Brock." She forced herself to sound assertive, though she knew it was useless. He was not the kind of man to intimidated by anyone, especially a woman. "What are you doing here so late?"

Without a word he linked his arm with hers. "I had to see you again." He answered as they approached the beach. It was virtually deserted this time of night and even this time of year. The air was colder than normal.

Misty pulled off her flip-flops and let them dangle off her fingers as she stepped onto the cool, white sand. Cerulean City's beaches were always her favourite part about her hometown. They were beautiful, especially at night.

"Shouldn't you be at home with Lucy?" She asked him, realizing that at some point on their walk from Violet's house, he had grabbed her hand and locked his fingers with hers. She didn't want to let go. Ever.

"Well, she took off…" He replied, the friendly, playful tone was gone from his voice. "We got in a fight and she left…"

"She doesn't know about us, does she?" Misty asked, hoping that he wouldn't say she did. Was that what their fight was about?

"No. No. She doesn't have a clue. We were fighting about children at first and…" He trailed off and kicked sand in front of him. Misty heard a wave crash on the beach and then lazily retreat back into the ocean.

"And what?" She asked, unsure if she should pry.

"Well, Lucy and I always try and fix our arguments with sex. So, we were going to…and I just…couldn't…" He shook his head. "We shouldn't have sex every time we have an argument anyway. That's not healthy."

Neither one of them spoke until they finally decided to sit down in a soft patch of sand. Music from a nightclub down the beach was a muffled background atmosphere. The soft, purple, neon glow could be seen from down the beach and Misty was almost comforted by that.

There was no way he would try anything with her with so many people nearby. Would he? Was that disappointment she felt?

"So, you got in a fight over not having sex with her?" She questioned again and he nodded. "It never seemed to be a problem with you before."

"I couldn't get you out of my mind. I mean, I've had sex with her after…us…but tonight…" He locked his arms around his knees and stared out at the ocean. "I just had to see you tonight."

Misty turned her gaze from the moonlit ocean to him. "I have to admit. I'm a little jealous you slept with her afterwards. I mean, I know she's your wife and I knew you would…it's just…kind of hard to hear it, you know?"

Brock moved closer to her and whispered in her ear. "Would it change matters if I told you I fantasized about us when I was with her?" He placed a small kiss on her neck and he slipped his hand under the hem of her shorts to caress her.

His lips felt so warm against her skin, his touch was electrifying and she could feel herself giving into him again, any anger she had towards him was slowly melting away with each stroke of his hand across the small of her back and with each kiss on her neck.

"You're lying…" Misty accused faintly as Brock's erotic caresses made her heart beat more rapidly.

"I'm not." He corrected her and he strung a line of arousing kisses down her neck and to her shoulders while his hands slid up her shirt to cup her breasts. "I want to make love to you tonight."

She closed her eyes and leaned back into him as she felt him pinch and tease her breasts until she was begging to be touched. "Why do you keep doing this to me?" She asked, rubbing her hand over his powerful arousal. Just touching it made her ache for him.

"What? Making you feel beautiful? Giving you what you deserve?" His voice was a deep sensual whisper and Misty linked her arms around his neck and tilted her head back, feeling a surge of desire rise within her like a warm tide.

She knew he was right. He did make her feel beautiful. He did give her everything she deserved and more.

Brock's grip tightened around her waist and he turned her around to face him, his eyes smoldered as he gazed down into her eyes. "You're so beautiful."

His mouth covered hers urgently, and she felt her throat tighten and the sting of tears come to her eyes, as he molded their bodies so close together that every hard muscle in his rugged frame made an impression against her.

Finally, he stripped of her silk pajama top and was elated to see that she wasn't wearing a bra. "I can't wait any longer." He groaned out as he hovered above her in the dark. He had pushed her back onto a soft bed of sand and she stared up at him, flooded with a strange emotion.

"I don't want you to wait…" Her long thick lashes splayed over her pink-tinged cheeks as she looked down and unsnapped the buttons of his pants. He kicked them off into the sand. "Take me now!"

Moonlight reflected off their bodies as they stared at each other in throbbing expectation. Misty begged him with her eyes. She urged him to make love to her again, she needed him and not just in the physical way. Why was this so different from last time in the hotel room?

Was it because she was in love with him?

He feathered her body with his fingertips from the tip of her breasts to her thighs, which he stroked sensually as he placed open-mouthed kissed on her luscious hips. The smell of her arousal was very apparent and it stimulated him even more.

Misty caught her breath and reached out, wanting to experience him the same way. Her hands glided lovingly over his muscular chest and slim hips, but when she stroked his burgeoning manhood, he uttered a hoarse cry and crushed her against him, capturing her mouth in a passionate kiss that left her clinging to him. Misty's legs felt boneless after he dragged away from her.

"I've waited all my life for this." His voice was a strained whisper. "Tell me you're mine."

She stared up at him as he hands continued to explore his body. "There will never be anyone else for me," She answered with a catch in her voice. She really meant it, knowing that she could never make love to a man like this. Ever.

Brock was the only one for her. Even if she wasn't the only one for him.

His face lit with elation and he covered her body with his.

She welcomed him to the core of her being, raising her hips to seal their union even closer. His rhythm was slow and he indulged himself in her. Her hands glided over the muscles in his arms and she stared up at his face and she could see the look of forced self-control.

He was a beautiful man. And she loved him. Being close to him like this, sharing something so intimate with a man she'll never have was too overwhelming for her, and even though she knew she would hate herself for it, she finally let the tears show.

Looking down at her, he stopped himself but never separated from her. He pushed a lock of hair from her face and she could see a look of concern on his. "Hey, hey, why are you crying? Am I hurting you?"

Misty shook her head and she felt so stupid. "No, no. You feel so good, don't stop." She begged him, wrapped her legs around his back even tighter and pulling him even closer. He kissed her briefly and enjoyed the feeling, but he wanted to know why she was crying.

"Then, why do you look so sad?"

"It's just…" She wiped a tear away from her eyes. "I know that after this over, you're going to go back home to Lucy and…it breaks my heart because…" She trailed off, and grabbed onto his hand which was buried in the sand beside her.

"Because why, Sweetheart?" He kissed her forehead and looked down at her. Misty wondered if he really did care about her, even a little, or if she was just some itch he had to scratch and that's why he traveled all the way here so late at night.

"Because I'm in love with you, Brock." Her confession almost seemed foreign, or as if she was in a dream.

"This isn't just sex to you is it?" He asked softly, holding her to him. He didn't want to escape, not yet. Now was the perfect time to tell her about he felt about her after all of these years. The problem was, would she believe him?

Misty made no move to escape, she just stared up at him and shook her head. "It's so much more than that to me. But I understand if…you don't feel that way." She blinked back tears and before she knew it he was kissing her again, the passion burning hotter than it had before.

He lifted his mouth from her and looked down at her as he drove into her, edging her closer to the verge of ecstasy. "I love you, too. I always have. I always will." His words were breathless, but she heard them perfectly.

Excitement built in a gathering storm that burst like the cresting wave that foamed a few feet away.

They were totally relaxed afterward. Bathed in a glow of complete satisfaction, they clung to each other wordlessly. The sound from the nightclub could still to be heard over the pounding blood in her head.

Misty laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart as it slowly returned to normal. She never wanted this night to end or ever let him go. His confession still hung in the air and it was nagging her to address it with him. She knew if she didn't she wouldn't sleep at all tonight.

"Brock?" She asked, unsure if she wanted to bring it up to him.

"Hm?" He questioned lazily as he stroked the side of her face with his hand.

"Did you mean what you said?" Propping herself up on her elbows she looked at him. "You said you've always loved me…"

"Of course." He pulled her down to him in the sand and kissed her again, sending shivers down his spine with each stroke of his hand over her waist. She wanted him to hold her again like he did before until he decided to leave before morning. But when he pulled away from her after several, long, blissful moments, she knew he didn't have the same thing in mind.

Brock reached for his shirt and gathered the rest of his clothes, shaking the sand from them. "I better get back to Landview before morning." He tugged on his jeans and looped his belt through, but didn't bother fastening it. It hung from his lips loosely and Misty watched him in a state of awe, not fully aware she was still naked and exposed to him.

He tossed her cut-off shorts and her silky pajama top to her. Misty caught it despite being unprepared and then she finally registered what he had said.

"You're going back to Landview already?" She asked and she felt stupid for creating that fantasy of staying on the beach with him all night long, sleeping out beneath the stars. Her voice quivered with tears.

Why did she feel used?

"Lucy's probably already back and she's going to wonder where I am." He slipped his shirt over his head and waited for her to finish getting dressed. When she stood up her pulled her to him and kissed her again and even though she had planned to tell him to keep his hands off of her from now on, she couldn't help but indulge herself in that last little moment of pleasure.

They walked in silence back to Violet's house and Misty had tried the whole way to convince herself Brock meant it when he said he loved her. But love wasn't supposed to be like this was it?

No, Misty never imagined herself having to share the love of her life with another woman. She had imagined her husband being hers and only hers. Not sleeping with other men, like Ash had done. Not having a vehement love affair on his wife with her.

So, then why did she feel like Brock was the only one for her?

He walked her up to the front porch. Stars were still clearly visible in the sky and Violet's bedroom light was still out. No one would have any idea where she had been. Of course, she would need a shower.

She wished so badly that shower could be taken with Brock.

His thumb brushed her cheek and trailed down the side of her neck, his eyes never wavering from hers. Why did he have to stare at her like that? It almost made her believe what he had said and that would be a foolish mistake.

"Goodnight, Misty." He whispered to her from underneath the porch light.

Her throat seemed to almost close up and she quickly composed herself. "Goodnight, Brock." She finally said and then he turned away from her and headed back towards his truck.

The headlights turned on and she didn't go back inside until his taillights disappeared around a corner. Sand and dust still floated in the air in his wake.

Finally, she stepped back inside and took a shower, washing away the sand that had collected on her body and clung to her hair. She was able to wash the physical evidence away but never his memory.


	3. Open Season On My Heart

Chapter 12

Ash had become very lonely. Not only were his friends and his wife fed up with him lying to himself, but so was Tracy. He never thought Tracy actually cared about their relationship, he just assumed he was promiscuous or experimenting with the same sex.

Roady's bar was open until three A.M. and it was just past two thirty. An older woman with crunchy blond hair and a rough voice set him up with another round of tequila. "You got a ride home, buddy?"

"Yea," He lied and chugged the shot, feeling the burn in his throat. It was strange. The more he drank, the less he thought about Tracy. The bartender walked away and Ash supposed that was alright, he needed to give his esophagus a break from the burn of liquor.

Then, he saw something that surprised him…

Lucy Harrison sat at the end of the bar, sipping a pink coloured drink in a martini glass. She bit off one of the skewed olives of her drink and looked over at him, smiling. A little wobbly, she stood to her feet and made her way over to Ash, where she sloshed her drink on the counter and grinned towards him.

"What brings you here?" She asked, taking another sip of her martini.

"My wife left me." Ash answered obviously. "I'm sure you've heard about it, Lucy. C'mon. The real question is, why are you here?"

Lucy giggled and smiled over at a single man who was busy ordering her another martini. "I didn't get any sex tonight. I don't know what Brock's problem was, but we were just about ready to and he just stops." She shook her head and graciously accepted the drink. "We got in a huge fight and I left and came here just to flirt with some guys and get some free drinks. He took off somewhere too."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Oh, did he?" He ordered up another round of tequila and added a shot for Lucy. He knew she drank like a fish. "Where do you think he went?"

"Beats me." Lucy finished off her martini and reached for the shot glass of tequila. "All I know is if he's not having sex with me, he is obviously getting it somewhere else. There would be no other reason a man would ever turn me down." She threw back the shot and slammed it down on the bar, causing Ash to jump a little.

"You got that right, Honey." Ash complimented her with a smile and she smiled back.

"You know, I could help you get over your little problem." Lucy grabbed his hand and pulled it towards her chest, tucking it on the inside of her plunging neckline. "I could help you win Misty over and you can practice on me all night long." She winked at him and at first, Ash hesitated.

But why?

Lucy was a very attractive, very drunk female. Plus, Brock had left her hanging and now she was desperate for any gratification at all. Ash saw his opportunity and he was going to take it.

"I think that sounds like a plan…" He replied and she led him out of the bar.

* * *

An entire week had came and went since she had last seen Brock. It was driving her insane, but she had made the decision to put aside her feelings for him and forget them. Ultimately she decided she wasn't going to answer his phone calls which plagued her phone at least five times a day, followed by a text message that told her he didn't know why she was ignoring him.

Brock could be so arrogant sometimes. Did he really think she was going to let him use her as an escape from Lucy. Well, she had done it once, and then twice, perhaps he was trying for a third time, but it wasn't going to be with her.

She was finished with Brock, no matter how much it hurt.

Violet sat with her across the table as the two of them peeled potatoes for dinner. Lance was making his delicious ranch mashed potatoes, his grandmother's old recipe. However, he had gone and run errands and Violet was alone with her little sister in the kitchen.

"So, I noticed there was, like, an awful lot of sand in the shower last week." Violet mentioned, not so casually. She pushed potato peelings into the trash and smiled up at Misty, wiping her hands free of grimy dirt from the potato skins.

"What?" Misty put down the spud she had in her hands. "That…was…that was like last Saturday. Why bring it up now?"

"Because Lance has been around until now." She reminded her with a chuckle. "Can't have girl talk with a man around. Seriously… So, like, tell me what happened…"

"I went for a walk on the beach…" Scowling, Misty agitatedly tore the skin off the potato with her knife. Just when she was planning on forgetting Brock and the wonderful sex she had with him on the beach, Violet had to bring him up again.

"There was totally way to much sand in that shower just for you to, like, take a walk on the beach." Her sister reasoned. "You had sand in more places then just you're feet."

"Violet!"

"Before you try and lie to me again, that old rickety truck of his totally woke me up out of my sleep when he pulled up. I was totally bummed out at first, but then, like I realized it was Brock." She informed her with a smile. "I saw you two go off somewhere. Plus, you've been walking around this house all week like you're on cloud nine."

Blushing, Misty looked away from her. "I wasn't planning on sleeping with him again. It was just supposed to be a walk, but it turned into way more."

"Has he called you since?"

"Yes. Everyday. But, I've decided I'm not going to see him anymore."

"Misty! Are you crazy?" Violet dropped her knife on the table. "He's Brock! Do you know how many girls would have totally killed to be with him back in college? I was one of them."

Misty looked up at her sister and sighed. "He's a married man, Violet. I can't just continue to sleep with him behind Lucy's back. It's wrong."

"Doesn't feel so wrong when you're doing it though, does it?" Violet began to slice the potatoes.

"It's not just that." The redhead confessed, a seriousness clouded her eyes. "Every time he makes love to me, or kisses me or…even if he so much as _looks_ at me, I feel myself falling more and more in love with him. It's just torturing myself and I am not going to be his ego booster."

Her sister twisted her face in agreement. "Bummer. I guess you're right. But, hey, there is, like, other fish in the sea."

A knock was at the door and both of them just assumed it was lance who was either too lazy to get his key out, or he had forgotten it. However, when Violet opened the door both of them were shocked to see that it was Ash and he looked very nervous.

Misty stood up by the table. "What do you want Ash? Why are you here?"

"Don't be…angry, OK?" Ash held his hands out in front of him as if to stop her from something. Misty's hard glare softened and she thought that if she ever saw Ash again, she would fall back in love with him and be hurt all over again, but every feeling that she had ever had for Ash was gone. Completely.

Clearing her throat, Violet regarded him. "My husband is going to home soon. He's probably not going to want you here."

"It's alright, Violet." Ash nodded towards her. "This won't take long. I just…have to tell Misty something." He made no attempt to step towards her, or beg for her forgiveness or any of the things she thought he would do.

He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "I'm…I'm gay."

Violet's mouth fell open and Misty was paralyzed with shock. Of course she already knew he was gay, but she never thought in a million years he would admit it. Tears came to his eyes and he pulled her into his embrace. A completely, non-sexual embrace that Misty couldn't help but return.

"Ash…"

"Please, Misty, don't hate me. Please. I love you. I really do, but…not in the way you were wanting me to…" Ash wiped a tear from his cheek and sniffled. Ah, it felt so good to be free. To be comfortable in his own skin.

But he still had to come out to his mother and he wasn't sure if that was even possible.

"Ash, I don't hate you. Nobody does. I was just…confused…" She looked towards her older sister then back at Ash. "But I'll be OK, Ash. I promise. Now I just want to see you happy."

"Maybe one day I will be." He gave them both a smile and looked towards the door. "Misty, I just want to let you know…I'm here for you if you need to talk. Friends?"

"Friends." She agreed.

* * *

A cold, lonely wind raged across the harbor. Brock studied the water. Black with sparkling diamonds of moonlight and never standing still. It was beautiful and it reminded him of Misty.

He felt for his cell phone which was tucked into his pocket. It was almost ten o'clock but he was sure she was still awake. Maybe he could try her again. It was driving him insane not knowing why she wasn't talking to him.

It was probably because she felt used and no woman liked feeling that way. Well, all women except maybe for Lucy. He sighed and hesitantly dialed her number, after five long rings, it went straight to her voicemail and instead of leaving a message like he had a few times before, he just hung up.

Silence again. It was so quiet he could even hear the sloshing of the water smacking against the cement beams of the bridge. It was relaxing to him and it made him think about the crash of the waves on the Cerulean City beaches.

Brock leaned against the rail and then he heard the quiet, timid footsteps of Neal Dash. It was unmistakably him and he looked back to see the old man hobbling up to him, wide-eyed and awake.

"Hey there, my boy…" Neal winked and leaned against the strong, steel rail beside Brock.

"Hey Neal. I haven't seen you in a while." His jaw tightened a little and his eyes seemed to stare off into the distance towards Mount Moon, knowing that just over the other side of it was Misty. And he could go to Cerulean City and just force her to talk to him, but what good would that do? If she wanted to talk to him she would.

"I've been around." The old man said, removing his hat. "What are you doing out here so late? It's getting might cold out here for mid-September. Think we're in for a cold one?"

Sighing, Brock shook his head. "It wouldn't matter if we are. I'll be miserable either way."

Neal looked towards him for a moment and then out towards the harbor. "You're givin' up to early, Son. It ain't over yet." He looked towards Brock. "It's that girl isn't it?"

He just grinned. Of course it was Misty. It was always her.

"Yea, I know." Neal chuckled a bit and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You need to have a little talk with the man upstairs."

"What are you talking about?." Brock made note of his phone again and quickly put the idea of trying to call her again out of his mind.

Neal smiled and pointed up towards the night sky. Brock looked up and gave him a weak smile.

"I've tried that." He looked down towards his feet. "Doesn't work."

"It does!"

"What do you know?"

Neal scratched his bald head and laughed. "'lot more than you think I do."

"Yea right."

Grinning the old man summoned him closer. Reluctantly Brock leaned towards him and the old man looked him in the eye. "I know you're Flint Harrison's boy."

"Y-you know my father?" Stunned by this news, Brock suddenly felt the urge to run.

"Boy, your father was the one who took my wife and daughter's life twenty-seven years ago." Neal confessed, inviting him to take a seat on the bench next to him. Intrigued, Brock followed him and realized his throat was very dry.

"Neal, I…I didn't know it was _your_ family." He huddled into his jacket as the night air seemed to become colder. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be, boy." He gave him a snaggle-toothed smile. "Like I said, I've forgiven him. Plus, he must have done something right if he raised a good boy like yourself. Wouldn't want to wish anything bad on the man, or anyone for that matter."

Brock leaned forward and linked his fingers together. "So, why did you save my life? I don't understand. Don't you believe in an eye for an eye?"

Neal shook his head. "Losing a child is an awful feeling. Even though your father took a child from me, I never wanted to see that happen to him. I recognized that look in your eye. The one that says there ain't no hope. But you have to see that there is. It just takes a little faith in the man upstairs." He patted him on the back.

"Yea…I guess you're right. So, what do I do now?" Brock asked. "Misty won't talk to me."

"Use your faith, Son." The old man winked and stood up.

Brock stood up with him. "What? Can't he give me some kind of sign of what I'm supposed to do?" He was desperate for anything. He never really believed praying to some unknown, unseen power worked, even though he did it for his mother's sake every Sunday morning.

But right now, he would take anything.

"Maybe he already done it." The old man stood up and nodded his head towards him. "You be safe now."

For a long moment he watched Neal walk down the bridge until he disappeared into the darkness. It was getting late and he was just about to turn around and get back into his truck when he saw something on the bench.

It was small and sparkly, shimmering against the weather-warn wood of the seat. With shaky hands he picked it up and instantly recognized it.

It was Misty's ring. The same one he threw into the harbor just a few months before. It should have been gone! It should have at least been ruined by algae and weather exposure. But here it was. Still shiny, gold and beautiful. Not a diamond was missing out of it.

In disbelief, Brock looked around for Neal, but there was no sign of him. He had probably gone to the shelter for the night to get away from the cold winds. Somehow he knew that Neal had retrieved that ring for him and it was not a duplicate. This style was discontinued years ago and even if it wasn't, there was no way Neal could have afforded a new one.

He looked heavenward for a few moments, silently picking out the constellations in the sky, then back down at the ring before dropping it into his pocket. This was his sign and he knew what he had to do.

* * *

An unexpected visit from Delia Ketchum came Sunday afternoon. Lance answered the door and let the older, but still very beautiful woman inside. Politely, he offered her a cup of tea which she declined and immediately requested to speak with Misty.

Violet volunteered to go up and get her. Needless to say, Misty was shocked to hear that Delia had come to talk to her and she was weary to go downstairs and speak with her. Was she angry with her? Disappointed? Had Ash told his mother what he had told her just a day before.

When she descended the stairs, Delia offered her a warm, soft smile and Misty began to relax. "Hi Mrs. Ketchum."

"Oh, Honey, you can still call me Delia…" The older woman took a seat beside Misty and folded her hands in her lap.

Lance cleared his throat. "Violet…we have a…thing. Remember?"

"Oh…that's right. A thing." She smiled at the two of them and followed her husband upstairs. Delia just laughed.

"They do know how to exit gracefully, don't they?" She asked, trying to set the mood as casual.

Misty chuckled. "Yea…"

"You're probably wondering why I traveled two hours to speak to you when there is telephones, but what I have to tell you is better said in person." Ash's mother had let her hair down out of it's usual lose ponytail and it fell around her shoulders softly. Her heavy lashes framed her sad eyes and she fiddled a bracelet on her wrist.

"I'm ready…"

"Ash told me that he had already told you what was going on with him." She ran her fingers through her thick brown hair nervously. "He told me this morning that he was…he was gay." Her voice faltered and Misty could tell she was thinking about Spencer and how he had come out to her.

"Yes, he told me…" She confirmed.

Smiling, Delia dabbed her eyes a little. "I told him I still loved him. He's my baby. I always will. But I feel like I've kept something from you. Something you should have known before you married Ash, rather it was significant or not…" Her hand gripped the tissue she held in her hands.

Misty made eye contact with her and took a deep breath. "Yes?"

"When Ash was in college, about five years ago…his father had left me for Chet Wilkins." She began. "I was so devastated and I was all alone in Pallet Town, I decided I needed to go see the only family member had and that was Ash. He was away in college up in Pine Valley. He owned his own apartment and I was going to stay with him for a weekend just to get away from…everything."

Listening intently, Misty prepared herself for the story.

"When I got to Ash's apartment, I knocked, but there was no answer. As a mother, I became worried and just walked in. His bedroom door was slightly open, so I figured I could go in…and…when I did--" She stopped and took a ragged breath. "I saw him with a boy. They were in his bed, together. They both saw me, but by the time they were decent enough to confront me I had left and was on my way back to Pallet Town."

"So, you…knew Ash was gay?" Misty questioned her, clearly confused.

She shook her head. "I suspected it. But I never, ever brought it up again because I had just been devastated by Spencer and I didn't want Ash to think he had to come clean about something like that when his family was falling apart over the very same thing."

It was shocking. Ash never seemed gay in high school. She thought it was something that happened to him after they had started their relationship, but clearly it was something that had manifested itself way back before they had dated.

"I'm sorry I never told you, Misty." Delia grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "You have been so good to Ash and you really didn't deserve to be hurt like that. You're a good girl."

She felt a tear come to her eye. A good girl? Was she really? No, not when she had been having an affair with a married man. She didn't feel so good about that.

"Thank you, Delia." Misty offered her a smile and she returned it. "I completely understand where you're coming from. But what I don't understand is why Ash would confess something like this after trying so hard to cover it up…"

"It doesn't make any sense to me either," murmured Delia.


	4. Don't Tell Me You're Not In Love

Chapter 13

It was the first day of autumn and it was already starting to feel cold, which was unusual for the normally mild climate of Landview. Usually, it didn't start to get cold until at least November and it was only mid-October.

Brock had the day off from work and he almost wished he didn't. Lucy had gone on another needless shopping spree which meant he had the entire house to himself. It was always so quiet with her gone and it just made him think more of how much he wanted children.

Someone to make a little noise and cause a little disorder in the quiet stillness. Every creak and crack could be heard throughout the big empty house.

He sat on the edge of his bed and pulled open his sock drawer to examine the ring that Neal had mysteriously recovered from the dark depths of the harbor. Laying back on his bed, he held it between his fingers and just stared at it, imagining what might have been if he had just had the courage to tell her how he felt back then.

The sound of the front door was jarring and he quickly put the ring away and closed the drawer. Lucy was home and she was on her way upstairs with tons of shopping bags. She smiled at him when she entered the room as she watched him sprawled out on the bed.

"I was going to hit one more store…" Lucy informed him with a giggle. "But I remembered it was your day off from the hospital." She crawled on top of him. "And I figured you might be lonely, so I came rushing home."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, then started to unbutton his shirt. His hands tugged at her shirt and she helped him lift it over her head. His hand reached around her to unclasp her bra and he felt her tug at his belt.

He tangled his fingers in her hair and trailed his hands down her body. She closed her eyes and sat back, welcoming him into her. His eyes were focused on her body, but his mind had drifted. This lacked the passion he craved. The passion he could only get from the one girl who wouldn't talk to him.

Brock felt her hands on her chest and he closed his eyes, but it didn't feel the same. She wasn't Misty. She never would be. And fantasizing about her wasn't doing the job anymore. Not since he had actually been with her.

His imagination could never duplicate something that wonderful.

His cell phone rang on the nightstand and he looked over, but Lucy forced him to look at her. "It's not important." She growled sensual, bringing one his hands to her breast. He squeezed it and smiled.

"What if it's work?"

"That's what voicemail is for."

Lucy threw back her head and ran her fingers over the contour of his muscles. His hard body felt warm to the touch and she moaned out his name softly, reveling in the sensation of him. He was like a god.

His cell phone rang again and she snapped her eyes open, looking at him with agitation. "Turn that thing off…"

Sighing, he reached over and dragged it from the nightstand, preparing to turn off the ringer and forget about it. But the name that appeared on the screen made him hesitate. It was Misty.

After three weeks of not speaking to him, it was Misty. He couldn't pass up this opportunity to speak to her. He had to answer. "It's work." He told Lucy breathlessly.

Rolling her eyes, Lucy rolled off of him and settled down next to him.

"Hello?" He answered, feeling Lucy nuzzle his neck with her nose.

"Brock, it's me…" Misty's voice quivered and she sounded upset. His heart began to race, but not because of his wife.

"Hey, uh…what's up?"

"Brock, I have to tell you something and you have to promise me you're going to get mad." She said and he felt his heart plummet.

"Oh…ok. I promise." He swallowed hard and prepared himself for the worst. She was going to tell him she found a boyfriend, that she had moved on. He just knew that was going to come out of her mouth next. He wasn't sure how, but he just knew…and then--

"I'm pregnant."

He sat up quickly and Lucy looked up him completely confused.

"Whoa! Are…you…serious?"

"Don't be stupid, Brock!" She yelled over the receiver. "I wouldn't joke about this! I'm pregnant….I found out this morning."

He rubbed the back of his head and looked down at the rest of his body. His arousal had been completely lost and he stood up, gathering his clothes.

"Brock!" Lucy's hollered at him, crawling across the bed as if to stop him. "Where are you going? We're in the middle of having sex! Tell them you'll be in later."

"It's an emergency." Brock cradled the phone between his cheek and shoulder.

"Oh…you're…you were…with Lucy?" Misty stammered over her question, suddenly feeling quite embarrassed. What a time to call and deliver the news. She knew she should have done it in person. Or perhaps, not at all.

"Listen, I'll be there as fast as I can. Where are you?"

"Violet's house."

"Don't go anywhere." He hung up before she could protest and he grabbed his shirt from the floor. "I have to go."

"You're not going to work…" She stood up and wrapped herself in her robe. "I don't know what's going on, but I've never seen you in such a hurry just to go off to work."

Brock stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at her. "Look, I don't have time to explain right now. I just have to go…"

* * *

Misty looked out to see his truck pull into the driveway behind Lance's car. She took note of how worn out, rusty and dirty Brock's truck was and she wondered why he never drove his Ferrari.

She stood on the front porch and tried to convince herself she wouldn't run inside and hide from him. Her entire body quivered when she saw him step out of his truck and he closed the door with a loud creak.

"Brock…" Her voice cracked with the threat of tears behind it and before she knew what was happening she was being pulled into his embrace. His strong arms were around her waist and he pressed her into him, stroking his hands through her long hair and then rested them on her hips.

God, she missed him.

"Everything's alright," he whispered softly, pulling back to look at her. "I'm going to take care of you."

Suddenly, she tore herself away from him. "That's what I was afraid of! I didn't want you to come all the way out here! Especially when I can smell Lucy's perfume all over you!" She growled and folded her arms. "You like torturing me, don't you?"

"I didn't think about that…" Brock looked down at his clothes. He should have changed, but he didn't have time. "Misty, look, the important thing is, is that I'm here."

"I don't want you here," she lied and looked anywhere but his gaze. "Just go back to Landview. I don't want to see you."

"Oh yea?" He stepped in front of the door to block her from making an exit. "Then why did you call me? If you didn't want me here, or you didn't want to see me, you would have kept this a secret for God knows how long." He stepped closer to her and she moved back. "So, you're lying."

"I figured you'd like to know when you're bringing a child into the world. I didn't think you'd stop…whatever you were doing and come all the way out here." She felt hot all over and she tied her hair back into a lose ponytail, letting a few strands frame her face. "Please, just go away before Violet sees you."

"She doesn't know?"

"Of course she doesn't know!" Misty rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I'm going to tell anyone I am having a baby by a married man?"

Brock grabbed her hands and looked down at her. "I'm leaving Lucy…"

Her eyes grew wide and she shook her head. "No, Brock. I don't want you to do that."

"I have to."

"I don't want you to be with me just because you got me pregnant, Brock." She backed away from him, as if she was afraid for him to touch her. "I'd rather be alone than that. Really."

"It's not because you're pregnant." Brock shoved both fists in his pockets. He knew she obviously didn't want to be touched or comforted right now. "It's because I'm in love with you."

She slapped him across the face.

"You're a fucking liar."

He touched his burning cheek and blinked his eyes back into focus. "What was that for?"

"You were just fucking her when I called! Now you're feeding me this bullshit about being in love with me! You're so full of shit!" She saw he was still blocking the front door so she headed for the porch steps and planned on escaping through the backdoor, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him quite roughly.

Her back was pressed against the wall and he was kissing her just like he had that night on the beach before he made love to her. He was touching her like he had that night in the hotel room. Everything was so invitingly familiar and invigorating that she couldn't help but kiss him back.

His hair felt soft between her fingers and she could feel the muscles of his torso as he pressed himself against her. She felt the urge to cry again. This is exactly why she didn't want to see him; she was too emotionally attached.

He slowly parted from her and she allowed him to rest his forehead against hers. He watched her chest rise and fall with each exhale against his and he brushed the lose hair back from her face.

"I know I've hurt you. I can see that. But just give me the chance to say I'm sorry." His voice cracked and it was the first glimpse of emotion she had never seen him show. Did he mean it? Or was he just a good actor?

Misty looked up at him and pulled his hands off her shoulders. "I can't handle this affair any longer, Brock. It's breaking my heart. I don't want to break up your marriage. What kind of person would I be if I did that?"

"What about this baby?" He placed his hand on her stomach as if to feel it, even though he knew he couldn't.

"Baby?"

Both of them froze by the inquisitive male voice behind them. It was Lance who had walked from around the back of the house. Misty and Brock exchanged a glance.

"Uhm, we were just…" Misty started to speak, but couldn't think of an excuse. She looked up to Brock for help.

"Hey Lance. How's it going?" Brock offered him a handshake by the red-haired man pushed it away.

"I'm not stupid, Harrison." Lance muttered, folding his arms. "What's going on here? Are you pregnant, Misty?"

It wasn't until then that both of them realized the way they were standing. His hand on her stomach with her hand tightly clutching his. Of course it looked that way because that's exactly what was going on.

The only problem was, she knew Lance would tell her to leave if he found out she was pregnant. And Violet wouldn't bother fighting him.

"Lance, I can explain…" Misty started but he held up his hands.

"Look, I agreed, against my will, to let you live in this house. You're quiet and not a half bad housekeeper, but I refuse to have a child in the house unless it's my own."

Brock clenched his fist. "What's you're problem? How can you kick a pregnant woman out like that? It's getting cold."

"Maybe she shouldn't have gotten pregnant by her gay husband." Lance chuckled and grinned. "Anyone with a brain could see he was gay. Apparently, Carrot Top lacks one."

"I could say the very same thing to you!" Misty stomped her foot and stood up to him.

"I might be a red-head, but I'm not pregnant and divorced either." His taunting laugh was cut-short when he felt his back hit the brick wall.

"If you get Misty upset and cause her to have a miscarriage, I'll kill you. With my bare hands," Brock clutched him by the collar of his shirt and shook him. "leave her alone!"

Lance grabbed his fists and tried to pull his powerful grip away from his neck. "Why are you so concerned, Harrison? It's Ketchum's kid. Don't try to play hero just so you can get in her pants."

"You son of a bitch!" He slammed him against the wall and Lance started to struggle free. "Don't talk about Misty like that."

The front door opened and Violet saw what was happening. "Brock? Oh my God! What's going on?" She pounded Brock in the shoulder with her fist, but he didn't budge.

"Brock, stop it! Let him go!" Misty begged him, but he didn't flinch.

"Do you know what this asshole threatened to do to your little sister?" Brock didn't let him go, but he looked over at Violet, who was apparently clueless. "He's threatened to kick her out on the street because she's pregnant and I'll be damned if I let that happen."

Lance kicked his legs. "Oh, come off it, Harrison! It's not even you're fucking kid!"

"It is my kid!" He pushed the other man tightly against the wall and finally let him go.

Violet rubbed Lance's back as he staggered to regain his composure. He shot Brock a hateful glare.

"Misty," Her sister looked over at her curiously. "you're pregnant? You didn't tell me that."

Misty brushed a tear from her eyes. "I just found out this morning. I didn't want to tell anyone because I knew Lance would react like this."

"Or maybe you didn't want to tell anyone because you were fucking a married man!" Lance shot her a scrutinizing glare, but recoiled when he made eye contact with Brock.

"Lance, go back inside the house! Now!" Violet scolded him and turned back to Misty as he retreated back in. "Misty, you don't have to leave. Lance is being a total jerk. You know you're always welcome here."

She shook her head and hugged her knees to her chest. "No. I don't want to live with him. I'll find a job and rent an apartment in Landview."

"Misty, you can't possibly expect to work full time while you're pregnant. That's totally not healthy for the baby - or you -" Her older sister looked up at Brock. "Convince her to say here. I can totally get Lance to calm down."

"Actually, Violet, I think it's best of Misty comes back and lives with me." It wasn't a suggestion, it was more a demand.

"Brock!" Misty stood up. "What about Lucy?"

"Yea? What about Lucy?" Brock shook his head. "I don't care about what Lucy wants. I own that house and I pay the bills. If I say you can stay with me, you can stay with me."

She opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it and sighed, as if to surrender. She really didn't see any other option.

"Are you sure about this?" Misty finally asked, standing awkwardly on the porch. How did she get herself into this kind of mess?

"Of course I'm sure. Go wait in the truck. I'll go up and get your bags." He watched her until she safely got inside the truck and he turned back to Violet. "I'm taking you know everything that's going on between Misty and I?"

"Totally. Like, sisters know everything." She winked at him and led him inside, thankful to see that Lance was pouting in the living room in front of a football game. He wouldn't try and start trouble with Brock.

Violet began packing Misty's clothes and other belongings. "Brock?"

"Yea?"

"I just want to let you know that Misty's my baby sister. I don't want her to get hurt." She told him, zipping up one bag.

"I won't hurt her, Violet. I wouldn't be here if I didn't care." He stood awkwardly by the door entrance as she brought him several bags. She held a couple in her hands while he carried the majority. "I want to be with her, but she's not making this easy."

"She wouldn't be Misty if she made it easy." Violet gave him a smile and led him down the stairs and out the front door.


	5. I Think I've had Enough

Chapter 14

Over the past week, Lucy had realized her marriage was on the rocks. Misty had moved in and seemed to be taking all of Brock's attention, though she couldn't figure out for the life of her why he would rather pay attention to her.

Sure, Misty was pregnant with her now gay husband's child, but did he have to hover over her like that? It was really starting to put off Lucy and she walked around the house shooting Misty's mean glares.

But the battle lines weren't as clearly drawn as Lucy had thought.

Then again, it was just Brock's nature to take care of people. And that's why Lucy couldn't wait to get home from her gynecologist appointment. She had huge news for him and normally, under any other circumstances, this news would have her racing down the road in a fit of rage.

The doctor had just informed her that she was pregnant as well. It was the one thing that she needed right now to get his mind off Misty. There was just one problem. She wasn't quite positive Brock was the father.

Of course, statistically he should be. She had only slept with Ash Ketchum once, in which afterward he quickly gathered his clothes and went running out of the room like a scared little boy. She supposed that's when he realized he really was gay and that's why he came out to everyone.

Besides, even if the child wasn't Brock's, he didn't have to know. Ash wasn't going to claim the child and he wouldn't even know she's pregnant, at least not for a couple of weeks. The timing couldn't be more perfect.

It was Brock's day off from the hospital and she quickly rushed in to see him. He was busy preparing dinner and Misty sat at the kitchen table. Both of them seemed awkwardly normal.

"Brock…" Lucy walked towards him and gave Misty a challenging look.

"Hey, Honey." He greeted her uncomfortable and watched Misty squirm in her seat. "How did your appointment with the doctor go."

"Great." She smiled and slipped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder and smiling.

Misty clenched her fists but kept quiet. It was so hard to watch her have her hands on him like that. When she wasn't around, at least she could _pretend_ Brock was hers.

"I have some big news. I'm glad Misty's around so she can hear it to…" Lucy peered over at her for a second, then back at Brock who she wasn't sure was paying attention.

"What is it?"

"I'm pregnant."

Misty stiffened in her chair and gave a wide-eyed glance towards Brock. She felt her heart sink down in the pit of her stomach and she even forgot to breath. Everything seemed to move in slow motion for her.

Brock was quiet. He had become speechless and Lucy folded her arms. "Well, I thought for a man who wanted children so badly you would have at least have a reaction."

"No, I do. I'm just…s-shocked." He scratched the back of his head and pulled her into his embrace. "I thought you were on the pill. I thought that you didn't want to be a mother."

She grinned and kissed his cheek then leered over at Misty. "Well, since Misty's pregnant as well. It won't be so bad. Our children will be playmates. Their birthdays will be close together. They'll be just like siblings."

Brock found it hard to swallow. They _will_ be siblings. He exchanged a knowing look with Misty and hated himself for not telling Lucy it was over sooner. "How far along are you?"

"A month." She answered, pulling him in for a kiss, making sure Misty was watching. She was going to make it clear that Brock was hers and he was off limits.

He resisted her though and turned his attention back to cooking. "Same as Misty." Brock stated uncomfortably.

"Yea, I just feel bad for your baby, Misty. Do you think Ash will claim it? Or do you think he's too wrapped up in Tracy Sketchit?" Lucy sat down at the table across from her and Misty froze. She wasn't sure how to answer that.

"The baby's not Ash's." Brock's voice came as a surprise and Misty shot him a look. What was he doing? What was he saying? Didn't he know that kind of information could blow his cover? Is that what he was trying to do.

No, he wouldn't do that now that he knows Lucy is pregnant as well. Even if he was planning to leave her, he had waited too long. Misty rubbed her still flat stomach and felt like crying.

Would he love Lucy's child more?

She fought like hell to keep from crying.

"Oh," Lucy's shock was portrayed in her voice. "Then who's is it?"

Misty swallowed the lump in her throat. "Uh, it's…it's…"

"Lucy, that's of our business." Brock spoke up again and she began to relax. "Stop being nosy."

"Oh, you're such a party pooper." Lucy rolled her eyes and stood up. "I'm going to freshen up before dinner."

Misty waited until she heard her loud, clogging heels disappear up the stairs and then she looked over at Brock. He was looking at her, too and she felt a rush. That same rush she got every time he made even the most negligible glance her way.

He was the first to speak. "I'm…I'm sorry."

"Don't bother, Brock." She replied, shaking her head and standing up. "I'm not really that hungry. I'm going to bed early."

"Misty, wait…" Rushing after her, she tried to grab her wrist but she jerked her arm out of his grasp and never looked back at him. Clearly, she didn't want to be touched.

Sighing, he leaned against the wall and buried his face in his hands. This time, he had really messed up and there was no going back.

* * *

Barbara Joplin had been married for almost eight years. She loved her older sister Lucy, though she couldn't help but have a deep, everlasting hate for her brother-in-law. She had kept her mouth closed about what she had seen that night at Capricorn, but she wasn't sure how long she could keep that up.

She knew, more than anyone, that Lucy was completely infatuated with Brock and his money. She always wore the latest trends, the most expensive shoes, the most desired designer dresses. Nothing on the planet could ever make her leave Brock, and Barbara knew if she told her sister what she had seen that night at Capricorn, it would just result in her denying the accusation and telling her to get out of her face about it.

Lucy Harrison gave a whole new meaning to the term 'stand by your man'. She really meant it!

That was why, for the life of her, Barbara Joplin couldn't understand why they were having the conversation they were having. Her older sister had called her for an emergency shopping trip and they had hit three stores before Lucy got around to telling her why she had made her come along.

"So," Lucy began as they stood in separate stalls. "I went in for an annual checkup yesterday at the gynecologist and I find out that I'm pregnant." Her voice echoed and she heard a loud thump in the stall next to her.

Had Barbara fallen over from shock.

"You're pregnant?"

"Yes. That's not even the worst part." Lucy continued. "Not only am I going to lose my beautiful figure and have spit-up in my hair, but…" She opened the door dressed in the garment she had chosen to try on, knowing that she probably wouldn't be able to wear it in three months at most.

"But what?" Barbara walked out, fixing her short blond hair and straightening out her own outfit.

"I'm not entirely sure who the father is." She said, almost inaudible.

"Oh my God. Lucy! Are you serious?"

"Sh!" Lucy held a hand over her mouth. "Don't be so loud."

"Sorry." Barbara retreated back into the stall, got dressed and walked out, then pressed herself against the door Lucy was behind. "You mean, you slept with another man? What happened? I thought Brock was supposed to be some kind of sex maniac."

"I thought that to. Why do you think I married him?" She replied, opening the door with a few garments slung over her arm. "He's been acting like a total asshole lately anyway. You know Misty Waterflower is pregnant don't you?"

"No way!"

"Yes way! And she's living with us!" Lucy placed her clothes on the checkout counter. "Can you believe Brock actually let that little bitch move in? She's totally taking all of his attention away from me just because she's got a brat on the way. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him we had one on the way too."

Barbara thought back to what she had seen at Lilly's party. She would have brought it up, but she was having too much of a good time with her big sister to ruin it with an argument over that pig-headed slime ball she called a husband.

Lucy gathered her bags after paying a ridiculous amount of money and walked out of the store, realizing she was hungry. "Want to stop for some food?"

"Sure." Her little sister agreed and they headed towards the food court. "So, who's the other potential father?"

"I'm not sure if I want to tell." She said, running a hand through her long black hair uncomfortably. "It's kind of embarrassing. I'm not proud of it…especially now since he's come out of the closet."

"You slept with a gay guy? How did you pull that one off?" Barbara asked in almost disbelief.

"I was drunk, he was drunk and trying to deny who he really was. It was a huge mistake and it's probably not even his child, but it is a possibility."

"You know you can always tell your sister. I'm curious. And I swear, what is said in Landview Mall stays in Landview mall."

"Promise?" Lucy asked, holding out his pinky.

"Pinky promise." Barbara agreed with a smile, linking her pinky with hers.

"It was Ash Ketchum."

She gasped and clasped both her hands over her mouth to keep from shouting out in utter shock. "Oh my…Ash Ketchum?"

"I had this crazy, drunken idea I could turn him straight." Lucy rolled her eyes. "I was stupid to ever think that. As soon as he finished he started looking like he was going to throw up or something. Then, he just grabbed his clothes and took off out of the bedroom like a bat out of hell."

"He didn't even watch you get dressed?" asked Barbara.

Her sister shook her head. "He stood outside in the hall begging me to get dressed and get out. He barely even looked at me the whole time we were having sex, but I didn't care at the time. Brock left me hanging, so I took off to Roady's to see what I could get and I found Ash."

"Wow." Barbara couldn't resist a giggle. "So are you going to get a paternity test done?"

"No way! Why would I do that? I'm going to pass it off as Brock's child anyway." Lucy stood in line at the Pretzel Shop, reminding herself not to overdo it on the salt.

"Well, you know, if you find out it's Ash's kid, that would really stick it to that little stuck up Misty." Barbara grinned deviously. "And if it is Brock's child, I bet that would piss her off even more."

"Why would that bother her?" Lucy asked, clueless.

"Oh, c'mon Lucy. Don't tell me you're that stupid. Misty totally has the hots for your husband. I'd watch him closely if I were you. He doesn't exactly have a reputation for being faithful."

Lucy laughed and shook her head. "Please, if he was going to cheat on me, it would have to be with someone prettier than me. And honestly, who is?"

"Me, but I'm married. " Barbara joked with a laugh. "Well, it's definitely not Misty."

"Exactly. Should I get cheese or mustard? I don't want to gain too much weight with this baby…" Lucy asked, rubbing her stomach thinking about how disgustingly huge she was going to be by the time this whole thing was over. Then, she thought about the paternity test she could get done. It would be discrete and even if it didn't come out the way she wanted it to, Brock didn't have to know.

* * *

It was just before sunset as Brock arrived home from his shift at the hospital. He didn't bother announcing his presents since he knew Lucy was gone and Misty was angry wit him. He did, however, find Misty sitting at the table nibbling on crackers and sipping ginger ale.

He stripped off his jacket and loosened his tie. "Hey…"

"Hey…" She spoke to him, but she didn't look too thrilled to see him.

"You…feeling OK?"

"I'm fine." She assured him, taking a sip out of the soda can. "Just a little nauseous because I'm pregnant…" Her tone was almost resentful and guilt washed over him again.

"Misty, listen, I don't want you to get upset--"

"It's too late for that!" She exclaimed, standing up for her chair, trying to ignore the terrible nauseous feeling that rolled around inside her belly. She stormed out of the kitchen and headed through the living room towards the staircase.

"Hey!" Brock chased after her and stopped her just as she put her foot onto the first step to make her escape. "You know if you get too upset and you lose the baby."

"Why do you care? You have another one with Lucy." Misty questioned him jerking her hand away. It was almost as if she was disgusted that he touched her and he thought about when she couldn't wait for him to touch her, to love her. He had her. She was so close to becoming his and even though she was carrying his child, she was more far away than ever.

"C'mon, you don't really think that I can just disregard one of my children, do you?" Brock looked up at her as she slowly climbed the stairs, backwards and still facing him.

"You disregard me!" She reasoned, her voice was unsteady with the treat of tears. She hated how she could never seem to hide her emotions that well. And he always seemed so emotionless and strong. Misty envied him.

"No, I haven't!"

"Yes you have! You think you can just have sex with me and Lucy at the same time and there be no consequences?" Her eyes welled up with tears. "I guess having my husband tell me he's gay after he marries me wasn't enough for you, was it? You had to go and make me fall in love with you and then do this, didn't you?"

"Misty, it wasn't like that."

"Just shut up and leave me alone! I'm going to look for a job."

"Oh no you're not."

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"You're staying right here with me." He gave her a heated look and pinned her against the wall, kissing her.

Misty hated herself for it, but she allowed herself to enjoy it. It had been building up for weeks. That desire, that sexual hunger. They had both been craving it but rarely had the opportunity to pursue it.

She unbuttoned his shirt as he kissed her. She didn't want to do it, but it was like he had taken control over her body. "I'm still mad at you…"

"That's the best time…" He pulled her up the stairs and led her into his bedroom, pushing her down on his bed and locking the door. She pulled him towards her with her eyes and he lifted her shirt up over her head and kissed every inch of skin he could reach.

Her skin tingled, her heart did back-flips and her entire body just quivered at the feel of his lips. "God, you don't know how bad I've wanted to do this." She felt him tug off her shorts.

"Oh, I think I do." He winked at her and left a trail of kisses down her legs and her scent intoxicated him.

Then, she heard his belt hit the floor and reality sank in. "Isn't this where you sleep with Lucy?"

"Yea." Brock replied, shrugging. "So?"

"So?" She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I can't have sex with you here. It's weird."

"Do you want to go running across the hall naked into your room then?"

"No."

He chuckled and leaned down to her. "Alright then."

This time, she resisted. "That doesn't mean I want to do it with you in here."

"Misty, c'mon…that's just wrong!" He let her sit up. "Your killing me! You get me all worked up and then you just walk away?"

"I'm not going to be used." She tugged her shirt from the bed and prepared to put it over her head, but he stopped her.

"You're not…" His dark eyes sparkled and she let her arms fall, letting her shirt fall to the bedroom floor. "I love you and…I have something to show you."

She stared back at him in bewilderment. "What?"

Brock dragged her back over to the bed and sat her down, then opened the drawer on his nightstand and pulled out the little black box. "Open it."

Misty hesitated for a moment. What was he up to this time? Was this just another ploy to get her to give into him? If curiosity hadn't gotten the best of her she would have slapped the box away and told him to go to hell, but she was intrigued by what he had planned.

He had always been such a fascinating man.

She was faintly aware she was sitting in front of him in just her skimpy lingerie.

Slowly, she opened the velvet box and looked in awe at what was inside. "Oh my God…"

"You like it?" He questioned, though he had already knew the answer by the way her eyes sparkled.

"I love it! It's beautiful!" Misty could hardly believe her eyes. Did he buy this for her? Surely, he could afford it but what was he planning to do with it? Ask her to marry him? No, you can't ask someone to marry you if you're already married, could you? So what was he up to?

She gave him a suspicious look. "Where did you get this?"

"Some jewelry store that probably isn't even in business anymore." Brock replied, leaning back against the headboard. "I bought it back before we graduated. For you."

Looking up at him, she shook her head in disbelief. "Don't lie."

"I'm not!"

"This is probably Lucy's."

"Look at the engraving."

"What?"

"Look at the engraving!" He repeated and she realized he was serious. She pulled the ring out of the box and looked at the inside of the band. Her name was beautiful handwritten, along with the word _Forever_ and the year 1999.

She looked up at him. "You're…not lying."

"Remember what I told you that night at the beach? When you asked me if I loved you?" He took the ring from her and held her hand. "When I said I've always loved you…and I always will?"

Nodding, she watched him as he slipped the ring on her finger. It had slid right into place, right where her wedding ring used to be when she was married to Ash Ketchum just a few short months before. But this time, it felt right. It looked right. She felt a shiver creep down her spine.

"I meant it. And this is your proof." He leaned in closer to her and she felt his hands on her skin. She believed she had never been more in love with him than she was right now and she knew she just wanted to make love to him. No matter where it was at.

This time, she kissed him and pushed him backwards onto the bed, tugging down his boxer shorts and taking control of him like she had that first night they were together.

The closing of the front door caused them to jump apart.

"Shit!" Brock cursed and scrambled for his clothes. "Lucy's home."

"What do I do?"

"Go in the bathroom and get dressed. Don't come out until I tell you to, OK?" He ordered her and unlocked the door. He was almost dressed by the time Lucy appeared in the hallway.

She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hey, Sexy. I had a great time shopping with Barbara. I missed you though."

"I…I missed you too." He stammered a little and sat nervously on the bed. "Uh…you hungry?"

"I'm starved!" Lucy squealed happily. "Is that a hint you want to take me to dinner?"

"It sure is." He replied in mock happiness. "Hey, why don't you go start the car and I'll…I have to shave."

"Alright. Oh, but let me take a quick shower first…" Lucy headed towards the bathroom, but Brock quickly jumped in front of her.

He laughed. "Oh, no, you don't want to go in there."

"Why not?"

"I got a little hungry on the way home. You know how much I love gas station burritos….just trust me. You don't want to go in there."

Misty sat leaned against the door, grinning. He was such a bad liar.

"Oh, well, alright. I'll just take a shower when I get home then." She walked away from the door and Brock slumped his shoulders in relief, only to have his heart race even faster.

Just before she reached the door, something caught her eye and she stopped. "What's this?" She picked up a pair of light pink lance panties and dangled them in the air. "These aren't mine."

"Uh…uh…they're not?" He asked, his mouth suddenly went dry. "They…they look like yours."

"Ugh! Give me a break! Like I'd ever wear a size six…and this style! Ew! So last year!" She thought about what Barbara had said. Even though, at the mall, it had seemed ridiculously off the wall that Brock would ever cheat on her, especially with Misty, it didn't seem so farfetched now.

Misty tried hard to hold her anger in. Lucy could be such a snob sometimes.

"Oh, uh…well they might be mine." He tried his lame shot at comedy, but failed miserably.

"Don't be cute, Brock. They're Misty's aren't they?" She placed her hand on her hips and tapped her foot.

His entire body felt like it was on fire and he eyed the doorway. He could make a run for it if he wanted to. She wouldn't be able catch him. He could beg for forgiveness, but that would just make Misty angry with him all over again.

Brock soon realized he was pretty much out of options. "OK…yes. But I can explain."

"Tell her she needs to do her own laundry. She shouldn't make you do all the housework."

His mouth fell open. "Uh…OK. But…you make me do all the housework."

"That's different. I'm your wife."

"She's pregnant…"

"I am too!" She reminded him sourly. "Ugh! I'm so sick of you taking up for her! Forget dinner. I'm going out." Lucy grabbed her purse from the nightstand and fluffed her hair in the mirror.

"What?" Brock chased her out into the hall. "Lucy, c'mon! Don't…"

Lucy raced down the staircase and slammed the front door again, causing one of her priceless French paintings to slam against the wall. He walked back into the bedroom and Misty slowly creaked the door open.

"I'm sorry, Brock. That was all my fault."

"No, no. It wasn't, Sweetheart." He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Lucy overreacts like this all the time. Any excuse to fight with me she takes it."

"I'm still sorry…" Misty told him, looking up at him, then at the ring on her hand. It was beautiful and she almost felt undeserving of it. He must have worked really hard to buy this for her and all she could think about was Ash Ketchum all this time.

"Don't be." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Hey, that offer for dinner is still on the table. You want to go?"

"It was Lucy's offer not mine…"

"Well, I was going to take you along!" He told her with a laugh. "I wasn't going to let you starve. Besides, I'd much rather take a girl out who will actually eat her dinner, instead of pick it apart."

Come to think of it, she was starving. And come to think of it, she had been dying to go out on an actual date with Brock Harrison.

"I'd love to."


	6. By The Light Of A Burning Bridge

Chapter 15

Today was the day Lucy was going to find out if her husband was the father of her child. She didn't even know why she was doing it, she just felt like she had to know.

Barbara picked her up and Misty watched her leave, wondering why she failed to say goodbye. It was better if she didn't. She didn't really want to talk to her anyway and she wondered what her secret was to overcoming morning sickness and go on all these shopping sprees.

Misty didn't feel like doing much of anything…

Once she was inside the car, Barbara drove off towards the clinic and they had a casual conversation about how much she was really beginning to hate Misty and her concerns over what she had found in their bedroom the night before.

"You think…they're…"

"No!" Lucy protested, then sat back in her seat. "Well, they could be. I mean, I don't know. Brock doesn't seem any different. We're still having sex."

"Is it good sex?"

"When is it not?"

Sighing, Barbara shook her head. "Just be careful, Lucy. You know he's a player."

"Well, it would serve me right. I did cheat on him."

"And he's never going to find out about that!" She looked her way and turned into the clinic parking lot.

Lucy was deathly afraid of doctors, even though she was married to one, and she was even more afraid of needles. It made her feel uncomfortable and she thought twice of backing out, but before she could really make up her mind she was already in the waiting room, carrying on a conversation with her sister.

"I really hope this brat is Brock's." Lucy spoke up.

Barbara flipped through a magazine. "I thought you said it didn't matter. You were going to pass it off as his anyway."

"Well, I am. But what if it comes out and looks nothing like Brock. Or worse. What if it's Ash's and it looks exactly like him?" She folded her hands in her lap. "If Brock has any suspicion at all, he'll question it. I know him."

"Relax." Barbara patted her knee and put down her crinkled magazine. "Brock's little swimmers are probably stronger than Ash's. Plus, you've had sex with Brock more. The chances of it being Ash's child are very slim."

"Yea, I guess you're right."

It was an agonizing fifteen minutes until a nurse finally called her to the back. The exam room was small and she sat herself up on the small table, wishing she would have asked Barbara to accompany her back there, but she hadn't and she felt very alone.

Her thoughts wondered while she waited on the doctor. They wondered back to the night she had with Ash Ketchum. And finally, they wondered back to all the fights she had with Brock about refusing to have his children.

She suddenly felt very guilty. That was no way to show him that she loved him. Brock was a very prideful man and having his own wife refuse to give him a child probably bruised his ego.

Shaking her head, she berated herself. _Don't do that, Lucy!_ She scolded herself. _It's your body! You don't need to feel guilty about not wanting children…_ Finally, the doctor swung open the heavy door and smiled. He was young and handsome and gave perfect, dazzling smile. He reminded her a lot of Brock. His skin was dark, his eyes were beautiful and he was remarkably attractive and seemed to light up at the sight of a female patient.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Ross Proctor." He offered his hand and he gave her a firm, but gentle handshake. He wasn't her usual gynecologist, but she wasn't complaining; he was very easy on the eyes.

"Lucy Harrison."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Harrison." Ross sat down on his rolling stood and opened her file. "We're here for a paternity test, hm?"

Blushing, Lucy nodded. She wondered if he was judging her.

"Alright." Ross stood up and wrote something quickly inside his file.

"Uhm, Dr. Proctor….how does this work exactly?"

"It's very simple really and virtually painless." He explained. "We just take a small amount of DNA from the placenta and compare it to the presumed father's DNA. It's very simple, but I must warn you, Mrs. Harrison, there is a small amount of risk to your baby."

"There is?"

He nodded, but didn't look too concerned. "Don't worry, though. I've done it a million times and never had anything bad happen. We just have to say that as a precaution."

"Oh…"

"Do you have a sample of the father's DNA?"

Lucy searched through her purse and pulled out a hairbrush that belonged to Brock, which she had sealed in a plastic bag. "Will that work?"

Ross studied it closely. "Ah! Yes. Some of these hair fibers have roots. This will work fine. This is your husband's?"

Lucy nodded.

"Alright, now Mrs. Harrison, lay back and relax. I'll get a nurse and we can begin the procedure now and you'll have your test results in at least three days."

She laid back on the table and closed her eyes. Three days was too long to wait, but she didn't have much of a choice. She found herself really wanting to know. It had gotten to her. The whole thing of carrying a life inside her and she wanted to know who that life belonged to.

Either way, Brock was still going to be it's father.

* * *

Lola Harrison was surprised to hear the knock on her door just after dinnertime. She was expecting visitors and she was a little put off by their rudeness, until she opened the door. It was Brock and she was more than delighted to see him.

However, her mother's intuition had led her to know that her oldest son's life was in turmoil. "Brock, honey, come on it. It's chilly out there. You'll catch your death."

"Mom, I know you weren't expecting me." He walked in, but she stopped him.

"Your boots are filthy. Take them off and leave them on the porch."

Sighing, he did so and walked onto the clean, bright pink carpet in the foyer in socked feet. His father sat in the living room, his face buried in a newspaper while his little sister and brother played with hot wheels on the floor.

Lola sat down at the kitchen table. "Do you want me to get your father?"

"No, Mom, actually I just came to talk to you…about…something." His jaw tightened and he twisted in his seat, as if he was five years old and got caught sneaking a cookie before dinner. "Something that isn't even for me to talk about."

The older woman ran her fingers uncomfortably through her short brown hair. "You know you can talk to Mommy about anything, don't you, baby?" She grabbed his hand and kissed it reassuringly.

He grinned and shook his head. "Mom, stop. I'm not a little kid anymore."

"Oh, I know. You're a very handsome man now." She smiled and he noticed the little wrinkles near her eye. Since when had his parents gotten so old? He looked into the living room and noticed Flint had gotten a pot belly. Probably from all the beers he had when he was younger…

They were really starting to look like grandparents to him.

"Alright, so Lucy's pregnant,"

"Oh, Brock! That's wonderful! I can't wait to tell your father. I--"

"Mom! Wait…that's not all." Brock stopped her and she plopped back down in her chair, ready to listen. "I know you don't approve of this and you can be disappointed in me if you want, but…I really have no one else to talk to about this, except you…so…"

"Honey, I won't judge you. You're my baby." Lola placed her hand over his again and he took a deep breath.

"Misty's pregnant, too, Mom."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" She chortled gleefully.

"What?" He was shocked and knew right away that his mother clearly didn't understand. He didn't think she would.

"Well, now they can play together! It will be so cute! Oh, wouldn't it be super adorable if one of you had a little boy and the other had a little girl! Oh! I hear wedding bells!" She laughed and danced around the kitchen. "Oh, being a grandma is going to be so much fun. I--"

"No, Mom. Listen to me!" He interrupted her rather loudly and she recoiled. "Misty's pregnant, too. By me!"

Shock filled her blue eyes and she gasped. "Oh my…how did…I mean…It's not Ash's?"

"No. Ash didn't even sleep with her. He's with a guy named Tracy now."

"A guy?"

"Yes. He's gay. That's part of the problem, too." He stood up from his seat and raked her fingers through his thick dark hair. "Misty's been hurt enough by Ash already. I'm just doing more damage to her and Misty doesn't deserve that. Mom, you know how much I love her."

"I know you do, Honey." Lola touched his face and smiled. "Boy, you're getting more like your father each and every day."

"Yea, well…" He muttered bitterly. "Unlike Dad, I had an affair on my wife. And you know what the bad thing is?"

His mother looked up at him and shook her head.

"I don't regret it. I mean, I've never felt so alive in my life. When I'm with Misty, I feel…" He sighed and shook his head, looked down at his hands then back to his mother. "It's hard to describe."

"I know what you're talking about." She smiled and straightened the wrinkles out of his shirt. "But you do know you have to take responsibility. And I also think you should go to confession on Sunday morning."

"Oh, c'mon, Mom. You really think I should go to confession?" He questioned in a high-pitched tone, as if she had just told him to take out the trash or change a diaper.

Lola nodded and looked up at him. "You got two women pregnant at the same time. You know I strongly disapprove of breaking your wedding vows, but you're a grown man, Honey. I can't choose what path you take. Maybe if you get a little closer to God, he'll lead you in the right direction."

"Whoa!" Forest came barreling down the stairs with a wide-eyed grinned. "Two women, Brock? You're like my idol!"

"Forest Harrison, you keep your mouth shut about this or I'll tell the Reverend you want to lead Sunday School for the next year. You understand me?" Lola shot her second oldest son a look and he straightened his posture.

"Yes Ma'am." He responded, rather disappointed. When she looked away he smiled at Brock and laughed, then disappeared into the living room.

He shook his head and grinned. "Thanks…for talking to me, Mom."

"I'm always here, Baby." She wrapped her arms around his broad frame and stood on her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you Sunday. Bring Misty along, too. If she's having my grandchild I'd really like to get her coming to mass with the family."

* * *

Misty woke up Friday morning, relieved that she didn't feel nauseous for once. It was mid-morning and she figured Brock had already gone to work and she faced an agonizing day of girl-talk with Lucy who hadn't seemed able to relax since Tuesday afternoon when she left the house without saying a word.

She wondered if it had anything to do with that certain piece of clothing she found under the bed. If she was going to have an affair with Brock, she at least needed to be more careful.

This morning, Lucy was no different. She sat at the table drinking a hot cup of peppermint tea to try and settle her nauseous stomach and when she saw Misty she jumped a little.

"Good morning." It was a shocking greeting coming from a woman who had barely said two words to her in the past three days.

"Good morning." Misty greeted her back and pulled a box of cereal for the cabinet. She didn't like cereal and she despised cocoa puffs, but for some reason she couldn't get enough of them since she found out she was pregnant.

Lucy sipped her tea and watched her as she sat down across the table from her. "Morning sickness didn't hit you this morning?"

She shrugged. "It will later."

Suddenly, Lucy's cell phone vibrated against the marble surface of the cabinets. It was a loud, jarring sound it almost made her jump out of her seat.

Misty couldn't figure out for the life of her what was making Lucy so jumpy. Every little noise made her almost jump out of her skin.

Fumbling for her phone, she finally flipped it open and answered. "Hello?"

"Luce, it's me…" Barbara said, sounding very serious. Misty could see that Lucy's face had turned almost completely white at the tone, but she couldn't make out what Barbara was saying from the other end of the line.

Not that she was listening.

"Barb…" She said, trying to sound calm and casual. "What's up?"

"The test results came in the mail. Don't worry, Scott didn't see them. I didn't open them, I wanted to wait until you got here."

"Oh, a-alright. I'll be there in a few minutes," she said. "Bye." She stood up and grabbed her purse from the coat rack. "I'll be back later."

"Oh…alright." Misty was a bit relieved. She'd much rather be alone then spend all day having small talk with Brock's wife.

In ten minutes, Lucy was pulling in front of her younger sister's house. Scott was busy washing his car, taking advantage of the last few weeks of warm weather they would have, but she failed to stop and say 'hello'.

Suspiciously, he watched his sister-in-law rush through the front door without knocking.

Barbara was busy taking curlers out of her short blond hair when her older sister had appeared in the foyer. The stark white envelope that she wasn't sure she wanted to open sat on the kitchen table. "Scott's outside right?" She asked.

Lucy nodded. "He looks busy, so I guess we should open it and find out before he comes inside."

The envelope felt heavy and thick and as she tore open the top of it, she prayed. While she was praying, she wished she would have done a whole lot more of that in church on Sunday mornings like her mother-in-law had told her to do.

Lucy pulled out the document and most of the pages were numbers and figures that she just didn't understand. The last piece of paper was the one she wanted and she discarded the rest. Barbara held her hand as she began to read the letter to herself.

Suddenly Lucy broke out into sobs and sank to the floor. "No! No, Barbara! This…can't be!"

"Oh my God…it…it isn't Brock's?"

Looking up at her, Lucy shook her head. "What am I going to do? I'm having a child by a man who doesn't even like women!"

"You're going to keep a secret. That's what you're going to do!" Barbara warned her, patting her on the back. The front door opened and she heard Scott let out a sigh of relief.

"What's going on girls?"

Lucy spun around and hid the letter behind her back. No doubt it Scott found out, he would tell Brock. The two of them were somewhat friends, despite that his wife couldn't stand the be in the same room as him.

"Uh…nothing." Barbara gave him a mock-relaxed smile and fluffed her curled hair before waltzing over to him and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Just girl stuff."

* * *

Misty was awakened by a light tap on her door. Groggily, she pulled her head up from the pillow and looked towards her door. "What?" She asked, slightly irritated.

"It's eight-thirty. Mass starts at nine-thirty." Brock stood outside her door fixing his tie.

Immediately, she was awake. She had forgotten she had told Brock she would go to church with him. He had told her he had told everything to his mother and she was fine with that, but she knew how Flint Harrison was, and she just hoped he wouldn't find out.

Not yet anyway…

She was a bit nervous about going to church with Brock and Lucy. It was just an all-around awkward situation. Going to a Catholic mass with the man you've had an affair with, along with his wife and entire family. It just wasn't how she preferred to spend her Sunday mornings, but she loved Brock and she'd do it for him.

She put on an elegant dress that she noticed was just a little hard to get into and combed her hair. After applying her make up she stepped out and saw Brock across the hall, poking his head into his own bedroom.

"Are you sure you don't want to go?" He had asked Lucy and she could hear her angry reaction.

"I told you! No. I feel horrible this morning." Lucy laid back onto the bed. "Just…go. Have fun with Misty." In reality, she felt just fine, but she couldn't bare to be around Brock's family, lying to them about who's child it was when she knew it wasn't his.

And Misty…

She didn't even want to face her. Yes, she wanted to get back at her for taking all of her husband's attention away, but when it actually came down to saying it out, she couldn't tell Misty that she was carrying Ash's baby.

After all, she wasn't too proud with having slept with a gay guy especially when she had a gorgeous husband like Brock. She just wanted to sleep her Sunday morning away.

"Is Lucy sick?" Misty asked, approaching him from behind.

Brock was dressed in a suit and tie and he wore the most enticing cologne. The last time she had seen him look so handsome was at her wedding to Ash. He turned around to face and raised an eyebrow.

"You look gorgeous." He whispered, after shutting the bedroom door behind him, then he placed his hands on her shoulders and just looked at her. "Misty, you don't know how much this means to me…and my Mom. She really wanted you to come."

"I'd do anything for you." She placed her hands on his shoulders and looked up at him and she knew he wanted to kiss her.

Brock ran his hands through her hair and smiled. "We better go. Lucy's not feeling well, so we better let her sleep. You hungry?" His other hand rested on her stomach and she smiled back.

"I'm starving. Do we have time to stop and get some food?"

"If we hurry." He headed down the stairs and out towards the car. Lucy got up from her bed and watched them. They didn't seem to be acting any different than they normally did, but she still didn't feel comfortable about what she had found in their bedroom.

She watched them drive off and she couldn't help just the slightest bit jealous. Sometimes she wondered if they shared some deeper connection since they had known each other since they were teenagers in high school.

Lucy had always been fond of Misty, but only because she knew she was infatuated with Ash. Now that he was out of the picture, there was a very good chance she could be after Brock and even though she was sure it wouldn't happen in a million years, it nagged at her.

Eventually, it got to her. She couldn't' stand it anymore - sitting alone in the house, thinking about what they could be doing, what they have been doing - it was driving her insane.

She got dressed and grabbed her purse and searched through the drawers for a checkbook. Grocery shopping had to be done anyway and she figured she might as well do it now instead of sitting here agonizing something as stupid as her husband cheating on her.

The red Ferrari roared down the highway and she let the cool fall air clear her head. The grocery store was next to empty and she had no problem swinging the flashy sports car into a parking space.

She had picked up a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread, and paper towels and was headed into the cereal aisle when she saw someone who made her want to run the other way. It was Ash Ketchum, buying a box of fruit loops.

_How ironic_. Lucy thought.

It was too late to run away and act like she had never been there because he had already spotted her and was headed her way. She pretended to be looking for something, even though she was just trying to avoid his gaze.

"Lucy…"

She straightened her posture and looked at him, then acted shocked to have seen him. "Oh, Ash! I didn't even see you! How have you been?"

"Great." He replied with a smile. "Just doing a little grocery shopping. Tracy loves cereal. I'm not too big of a fan."

"Oh…" Lucy wasn't quite sure of what else to say. She had never been too go on carrying on a conversation with Ash, so how the hell was she supposed to raise a child with him? She suddenly felt sick to her stomach and wondered if it was just the morning sickness this time.

"So, uhm…" He stuffed his hands in his pockets and scratched his head. "Listen, I want to apologize…."

"For what?" She asked, tossing a box of cocoa puffs in her basket. "Y-you didn't do anything." She stammered.

"Well, for…running out on you like that." Ash followed her and her sly move to get away fast had failed. They made their way past the baby food aisle. Jars of mashed peas, applesauce, pureed fruits and formula. It all made her sick and she felt the anxiety rise within her again.

Why the hell was he following her?

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"No, it wasn't fine. It was rude of me." He confessed, pushing his basket alongside of hers. "I mean, I slept with my best friend's wife, only to find out women absolutely repulse me."

"I repulse you?"

"No, no. Not you in particular. All women do." He shook his head. "I mean, doesn't having sex with a woman kind of gross you out too? Since you like men?"

"Can't say I haven't thought about other women." Lucy admitted with a smile. "But I'm married to the most gorgeous man in Landview. Now what would I want with a woman?"

"Exactly!" Ash followed her into the snack aisle. "Look, if you're not doing anything, maybe I could take you out for brunch? It's on me."

For a moment, she was dead-set on saying yes, but she realized how hungry she was. She didn't have anywhere to go after she left the grocery store and she knew Brock was going to be at church pretty much all morning.

Come to think of it, he was probably taking Misty out. Why shouldn't she go with Ash?

"Alright. That sounds good."


	7. Need I Say More

Chapter 16

After their meal was over, Lucy kindly offered to pay for hers, but Ash declined her invitation. He argued that it was the least he could do after what had happened the last time they were together.

Quickly, Lucy changed the subject. She didn't want to talk about the night she had cheated on her husband and sound up pregnant. "So, how are things with Tracy?"

"Wonderful." He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I've never been so happy in my entire life." Ash offered her a smile and she weakly returned it.

"That's good." She replied, hoping he wouldn't ask her how her love life was going.

"I just hope Misty can move on from this." He folded his hands in his lap, then rubbed his temples. "I loved her in such a strange way. I hope she can find a man who really loves her like she deserves."

Lucy took a sip of her sparkling grape juice. Right. She had to be careful and refrain from calling Misty any appalling names. Ash clearly cared for her, for whatever reason, and the last thing she needed to do was make him upset. She didn't know Ash that well as it was. "I'm sure she'll move on."

"I hope so." Ash took a sip of his sparkling grape juice and made a face, rubbing his temples again. "Hey, Lucy, do you happen to have any headache medicine? I think I'm getting a pretty bad one."

Lucy was busy powdering on her foundation and she looked up from her compact mirror. "Sure, it's in the left pocket on the inside. I'm going to visit the ladies' room for just a moment before I head home."

Nodding, Ash unzipped her purse and innocently searched for the little green bottle. A rather bulky, folded piece of paper was in the way of almost everything and he picked it up, unfolding it as he did.

Curiosity got the better of him and he started to wonder what was on it. He looked around and felt extremely guilty for snooping in Lucy's private life. The top of it read "Landview Clinic: Gynecology Department".

Maybe he shouldn't read it. Did she have some kind of STD? If she did, did Brock have it? Did _he_ have it?

Maybe he should read it. After all, if he found out he could be putting Tracy in danger if he didn't get himself tested. Whatever he was going to do, he better do it fast because Lucy was probably almost done with whatever she was doing in the bathroom.

He read on and almost fell out of his chair.

Lucy Harrison had gotten a DNA test done on her unborn baby and it clearly didn't match Brock's DNA. She was having someone else's child? Was there a possibility it could be his? She wasn't that far along, and that dreadful one night stand he had with her wasn't that long ago either.

Ash refolded the paper and tucked it inside her purse, along with her pills just as he saw her come back to their table. He had to get out of here. Should he confront her? He quickly decided against it. It was really none of his business and if it wasn't Brock's child, it was surely someone else's.

She offered him a smile and gathered her purse. "Did you find it?"

He froze and swallowed, his heart jumped in his throat. Then he realized what she had meant and he relaxed and let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Yes. Yes. Thank you."

"Your welcome," Lucy pushed in her chair. "Well, thank you for brunch. I better get home. Brock will be back from church soon."

"Right. Bye Lucy," Ash said as smoothly as he could before pushing in his own chair. He felt so torn. Brock was his best friend and his wife was keeping a terrible secret from him. Then again, if he told Brock that the baby could potentially be his, he would probably kill him for sleeping with his wife.

Shakily, Ash got into his car and started his engine, shielding his eyes from the harsh sunlight, then driving out onto the buzzing highway. There was almost no chance that the baby was his. After all, it was one night, right?

He remembered her making out with that Rudy guy that night at Capricorn. Maybe it was his. Ash gripped the steering wheel. Somehow he knew it was neither one of theirs. The baby _was_ his. He could feel it.

In fact, he felt it as soon as he had seen Lucy in the cereal aisle at the grocery store. He had felt that connection and he hated himself for it. What would Tracy do? What would he think? He was almost blinded by tears as he sped down the highway and he quickly wiped them away refocusing his sight.

What was he going to do now?

* * *

Misty was grateful for the church service to be over. It wasn't like she didn't enjoy it, she did. Very much, actually. But it was the scrutinizing glares from the other church-goers. She could feel their all-seeing eyes on her and she made a point not to sit too close to Brock.

Lola was nice to her, not overly nice, though and Flint simply greeted her with a nod. Brock had informed her that he still had no idea about their affair or about her pregnancy and she seemed to be comforted by that.

Brock dismissed himself from the congregation and led her quickly out to his truck where he helped her up into the cab, then quickly jumped into the driver's side and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Why did we leave so quickly?" Misty asked him as she watched the crowd of people dressed in fancy hats, dresses, suits and shoes spill out of the church. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison included.

"I always leave early," he said, pulling out into the highway and he instinctively put his arm around her shoulder. "besides, in there, I can't do this." He put on his break at a stop sign at the corner of an intersection, leaned over, and kissed her softly on the lips.

She kissed him back, but was disappointed by the briefness of his affection and she wondered how long it would be until she felt that again with him. If she ever would.

Misty was quiet for most of the ride. She rested her hands in her lap and fidgeted in her seat, then finally she broke the silence. "Do you think your mother thinks bad of me?"

"Nah," he shook his head. "she never thinks bad of anyone. She just wants me to be happy. That's all."

"Are you?"

It was a loaded question and he took a few moments to answer it. She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

"If I could change a few things I would. Meaning, Lucy wouldn't be pregnant. I'd be divorced and I'd be with you." He looked over at her and smiled. "Then, yes, I'd be a very happy man."

"You really want a relationship with me?" The question came out almost in shock and she was embarrassed by it. "I mean, if that were possible…"

"Of course. I've wanted one for a very long time." He approached their neighborhood and hoped to God Lucy wasn't home. "I just…wish things were different, you know?"

"I do, too."

When he pulled in front of the house, he was relieved to see that the red Ferrari wasn't in the driveway. He assumed she had went out to lunch with one of her modeling friends, or maybe on one of her shopping sprees, but who he saw standing by the door made him panic.

It was Ash Ketchum. He was waiting by the front door, hugging his jacket around his shoulders to try and beat the cool, fall chill that hung in the air. A few dried leaves blew across the yard as he approached him.

"Ash?"

"Brock, I…" He stopped when he saw Misty and something inside him jumped. His intentions of coming here in the first place were to tell Brock about what he had found out, but there was no way he could tell him that while Misty was standing there.

"W-what are you doing here?" Misty realized she had her arms linked with Brock's. That was usually how they walked when they were together and she knew she was just teasing herself by acting like they were a couple, because it was never going to happen, but she couldn't help it.

It felt so natural.

Ash's face coloured and he stuffed his hands in his pockets, wondering why he didn't steal the paper from her so that he would have proof of it in the first place. A prideful man like Brock would never believe something like this by just taking his word for it.

He knew it. And so did Lucy. That's why she was playing such a dirty trick on him.

"I came here to tell Brock something, but I can do it later…" He pushed past the two of them, but Brock caught him roughly by the arm.

"Whoa! Hold up! Tell me what?" Brock pushed him back so that he could look at him. "You wouldn't come all the way over here if it was just some little thing you could tell me over the phone."

"I definitely couldn't tell you this over the phone…" Ash looked up at his older friend and suddenly realized how tall he was. He was sure to get angry with him, maybe even pound his face in, or kill him. After all, he was Flint's son and that man has never been known to be mentally stable.

The short, dark-haired boy quickly looked for a change of subject. He noticed Misty's inseparable attachment to Brock, and he also noticed the beautiful, expensive ring on her hand and it wasn't their wedding band.

"Wow. That's a pretty ring. Where did you get it?"

At first, Misty didn't know how to respond, but it didn't take long for Brock to tell the truth for her.

"I gave it to her," he responded confidently.

The tension was thick, even outside and Misty unlinked her arms from Brock's and gave an awkward, shy smile. Obviously, Ash wanted to talk about something with Brock, and her presence wasn't wanted.

"I'm going to go take a shower." She announced to both of them, but more towards Brock. She was surprised when he grabbed the hand with the ring on it, and twisted it between his fingers for a moment.

"I'll be inside in a minute," Brock promised her with the slightest hint of a smile and she disappeared into the house.

An awkwardness passed between them, but the silence was filled by the call of a bird high in a tree and the sound of crunchy leaves blowing through the grass. Ash was the first to break the silence.

"So, that's a nice ring you gave her. I mean, not even the ring I gave her was that nice and I was married to her."

"I've had it for a while. Got tired of it laying around." Brock kicked a leaf with his foot and didn't want to look Ash in the face. The two of them were the best of friends, and he knew he could read him very easily.

The younger man folded his arms and smirked. "You're sleeping with her aren't you?"

He looked up instinctively and he could see the glint in Ash's eye. "W-what? N-no!"

"Hey, don't lie to me." He rocked back and forth on his heels. "You're not the only one who knows when the other is lying. You two are having an affair."

"How the hell did you figure that out?"

"You two should really be less obvious," Ash stated, watching Brock as he opened the door. He hoped Misty would still be upstairs in the shower, because he wanted to tell Brock what was going on. "The way she clings to your arm like that. Anyone can see she is obviously in love."

"Ash Ketchum, you better keep quiet about this. Especially around Lucy…" Brock opened a cookbook and searched through it, trying to come up with an idea for a nice Sunday dinner.

"Relax." Ash started to shake. "I don't get why you're being so secretive. If you love Misty, why don't you just divorce Lucy?"

He looked up from his recipe and eyed him. "It's not that simple. Lucy's having my child."

Ash felt nauseous to his stomach. Brock really believed that was his child. This was going to harder than he thought. Maybe he should just back out now and go flying out of the house, back home, to Tracy. Yes, that's what he should do.

Run back home to Tracy, and love him, because once this secret was out, Tracy probably wouldn't want to be with him anymore.

No, he couldn't do that. Lucy was having _his_ child. He just knew she was. And, as a man, he had the paternal instinct to father that child.

"You know, funny you should mention that…"

"Oh? How so?" Brock looked at him, suspiciously. No doubt Ash was up to something or had something on his mind.

"Well, I…I have proof that…Lucy's child _may_ not be yours."

He quirked an eyebrow and leaned across the counter with an arrogant grin on his face. That side of Brock was showing. The side he always envied. The cool confidence, the top-of-the-world kind of smile that he had only seen Brock possess.

"Oh, do you? Well, let's see it."

"I…I can't."

"I didn't think so." Brock straightened his posture. "Look, I know I caught Lucy kissing that guy at Capricorn, but I haven't said anything. I don't really have any room to, since you know…I'm having my own affair, but I highly doubt she's pregnant by another man."

Ash swallowed hard and stood up from the barstool in the kitchen. "Yea, you're…you're right. It was stupid of me to think it was Ruben's…"

"Rudy…" Brock corrected him.

"Right." Ash coughed nervously and steadied his breath. "Is Misty happy?"

"I'd like to believe so."

"That's all I really want for her." He admitted, rather sadly. Neither of them knew that Misty was eavesdropping on their conversation. Ash really did care for her didn't he? Of course he did. The real question was: Did Brock really care for her?

"Yea, well, I feel like an asshole." Brock admitted, out of the blue. "Misty deserves better than a sleazy affair. I'd give anything to love her like she deserves."

Misty felt something in her heart jump and ache at the same time. It was a mix of excitement and sadness that filled her and it made her want to cry.

"Don't you love Lucy?"

"Of course! Lucy's hot. She's sexy. I know tons of guys are jealous of me for being married to her." He stated. Ash didn't see the appeal of her, then again, he was gay. "But Misty's all that and more. I love her more than I've ever loved any woman."

"Wow. And you let me marry her?"

"Had to." Brock shook his head and forced a smile. "I'm married, remember? I couldn't stand up and object while Lucy sat just a few feet away from me."

"Well, I wish someone would have." Ash looked down at his feet and leaned against the wall. "Would have saved Misty a lot of grief."

"Don't beat yourself up over it." Brock told him and Ash felt just a little strange having a conversation with a man whose wife he had gotten pregnant. "I've probably hurt her worse than you did."

"Yea, probably." Ash felt horrible by this point. Not only was his keeping a secret making Brock's life more complicated, it was breaking Misty's heart. And that he could not live with. Not for long anyway.

His friendship with Brock would surely be over and he wished he could go back in time and tell Lucy "no". But that was impossible.

It was then that Misty decided to make her presence known and she entered the kitchen casually, as if she hadn't heard a thing. "Hey guys…"

"Hey." Brock offered her a smile and she sat down at the table, awkwardly. So, he told Ash about their affair. Did he tell him that it started while they were still married? She doubted it. Ash was about to say something when the front door opened, and Lucy's voice rang through the house. "I'm home!"

Misty felt tense and so did Ash. He didn't think she'd be here and he had planned to leave long before she came home. His gaze avoided hers as she entered the kitchen.

"Hey, Honey." Lucy leaned over the counter and kissed Brock before turning around and smiling at Ash and Misty who were seated across each other at the table. "Oh, Hey Guys. Joining us for Sunday dinner, Ash?"

It was Misty who noticed his hesitation and uneasiness. He simply shook his head. "Uh, no. I-I better get going." He stood up and gave Brock and quick wave goodbye, and a small smile towards Misty. He failed to look Lucy in the eye and he headed straight for the front door.

Misty found it odd that he would act like that. Lucy and Ash didn't really speak and she couldn't remember them ever having a fight. Something strange was going on. She could feel it in her bones; sense it in the air.

And somehow she knew it involved Lucy's baby.


	8. Go On

Chapter 17

Over the next couple of days, Misty tried hard to write off her suspicions as nothing more than her imagination. Perhaps she had cooked it up in her mind and manifested it into something it's not because she was jealous of Lucy.

But the way Lucy had been acting all week had bothered her, and by Thursday afternoon, Misty was determined to find out some answers. She remembered what happened the last time she stuck her nose into places where it didn't belong. She had discovered her husband was gay and started an affair with a married man.

She could only imagine what kind of chaos was going to occur if she found something shocking this time.

However, the opportunity came up completely innocently this time. Misty was enjoying a solo breakfast at a small café called S.O.S. She had finished a plate of pancakes, but failed to stay full, so she ordered another one, feeling much like a pig at feeding time.

It was nice to be alone sometimes. She could sit alone with her thoughts. However, that time didn't last long when she heard a voice from behind her.

"Misty!"

It was Lucy, of course, in her normal cheery tone. She had her very expensive Gucci bag tucked under her arm and Misty felt another stab of jealousy. Another thing Brock had given her, no doubt.

"Hey Lucy." Misty smiled at her. "What are you doing here?"

"I didn't feel like cooking, but I'm starving." She opened her menu and searched through the items. "Brock got called in early."

"I know." She responded, not really wanting to talk.

Awkwardly, Lucy fidgeted in her seat. "I have to use the bathroom really quick. Watch my purse?"

"Sure." Misty agreed, taking another bite of pancake and eyed the purse. She wondered what Lucy kept in it. Probably cosmetics, Brock's credit cards, her own credit cards, her car keys to that gorgeous Ferrari.

Maybe the answers to why she had been acting so strangely as well.

Without much thought, she zipped it open and rummaged through it quickly. She found a calculator, lipstick, a brush, lots of money and tampons. Nothing to interesting. But then something caught her eye. It was a folded, crinkled piece of paper.

An ordinary object in itself, Misty didn't see why it had caught her eye, but she found herself pulling it out and unfolding it, checking to see if Lucy was returning. She wasn't.

It was almost as if the floor had dropped out from underneath her when she read the paper from Landview Clinic. The baby she was carrying wasn't Brock's at all. His DNA didn't match the DNA of her baby.

And she was hiding it! She was hiding it from Brock and everyone! She folded the paper in her hands when she saw Lucy coming and she knew she couldn't just tuck it back into her purse, than Lucy would know she was snooping.

Instead, she tucked it into the pocket of her jeans, then stood up.

Lucy sat down, looking quite confused. "Where are you going?"

For an instant, Misty felt panicked and she could feel herself beginning to sweat. "Uh, I feel…morning sickness coming on. I better get back to the house." She turned around and bolted from the café, back to her car.

It was raining down in sheets and Misty felt the chill on her skin as the cold, early October rain fell on her skin. It wasn't until she was in the car, studying the paper more closely did she finally realize why Ash had been acting so strangely around Lucy.

The baby was his.

It had to be. The timing was perfect. He had come out to every about three weeks before Lucy found out she was pregnant. She was almost a month along by that time and Misty knew Ash very well. He had finally proven to himself he was gay by sleeping with a woman and he must have been so repulsed by the fact that he couldn't handle lying to himself anymore.

And that woman just happened to be Lucy.

But why would she cheat on Brock? Was it that same night she had gotten mad at him because he had taken off to Cerulean City to see her? Did Lucy go out that night and find Ash?

Her skin felt cold and she felt tears come to her eyes. How could Lucy lie like that? She didn't love Brock, at least not enough to be honest with him.

Anger rose within her as she cranked up the engine and turned her windshield wipers on full-speed. She wouldn't allow her to lie anymore and with this little piece of evidence she was going to tell Brock everything.

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time Brock had gotten home. Misty had stayed in her room all afternoon, trying to avoid conversation with Lucy. The mere sight of the other woman disgusted her and she didn't want to be friends with her at all.

She was grateful when she saw Barbara's car pull up and the two of them drove away, leaving her alone in the house.

Brock looked awfully tired when he walked through the door and Misty hesitated on whether or not to bring it up right now. It was cold, gray and dreary outside and he looked terribly stressed out.

His face lit up a bit when he saw her standing oddly at the bottom of the stares, as if she was waiting on his arrival. He gave her a lazy smile. "Hey there, Gorgeous." He leaned over and gave her a small kiss, as if he had done that every day of his life. And she wished he could.

"Hey, did you…have a nice day?" She followed him into the kitchen and he shook his head and chuckled.

"If you call having old women hit on you while you scrape calluses off their feet a good day, then yes." He laughed at the face of disgust she made. "I'd much rather do my normal job and be surgeon. It's less disgusting, believe it or not."

Misty leaned against the counter and smiled at him. He was unbelievably attractive and sometimes it surprised her that she had a relationship like this with a man like him. He walked in front of her and took her in his arms.

"What I want to know is how are you feeling?" Brock looked down at her, his fingers tracing circles in the small of her back. "Did you have a good day?"

She slid her hands onto his shoulders and she could see he was obviously in a good mood. Did she really want to ruin that with this kind of news? Would he be angry with her for revealing it?

Then again, if she kept it a secret and he found out anyway, he would be even more infuriated at her if she didn't tell him.

"My day is better now that your home." She finally answered and before she could say anymore he was kissing her. He lifted her off the ground with ease and sat her on the counter, tangling his fingers in her hair and kissing her with more passion.

Misty fought hard not to lose her train of thought in the haze he was throwing her mind in to. The taste of him was so invigorating and she wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to take her over.

It was a rare opportunity to be alone with him and she wasn't going to let anything Lucy has done ruin it. He carried her up the stairs and into her bedroom and he closed and locked the door. She needed this, she wanted this more than anything, but she couldn't get that off her mind.

Brock put his hands on her hips and pressed her against the wall, kissing her again and immediately tugging at her clothes. She laughed a little a pulled away from him.

"Brock, I have to tell you something…" She managed, trying to ignore the way his kisses felt on her neck.

"Can't you tell me later?" He growled sensually in her ear as if begging for her to give in to him. He stared down at her with that same cocky grin he always had when he knew he was effecting her.

Misty stared up at him, both eyes full of tears and Brock felt something sink into the pit of his stomach. It was something serious, something that obviously bothered her and his first reaction was to expect the worst.

"Misty, did something happen to our baby?" He placed his hand on her stomach and she quickly shook her head, wiping away a tear from her cheek.

"No, Brock. No, it's not that," she promised him, reassuringly placing her hand over his. "The baby is fine."

He released a breath he didn't realize he was holding and he kissed her forehead gratefully, then wiped away a tear from her cheek. "Then what has you so upset, Sweetheart?"

She looked up at him and the love she held inside for him swelled even more. And she had thought that had been impossible. It was a different feeling from lust, she didn't just see him as incredibly attractive, or sexy, or anything like that. She could see him as a person and she couldn't understand how his wife could lie to him like that and it reconfirmed her confidence in telling him.

"I need to show you something…actually." Misty headed for her dresser and Brock watched her as she sat on the edge of the bed and hesitantly opened the top drawer. Curiously, he followed her and crawled onto the bed behind her, massaging her shoulders as he waited for her to show him what she needed to show him.

He watched her reach for the crinkled paper in the top drawer and Misty faintly wondered if Lucy had realized it went missing yet. "What's that?" He asked her as she handed him the paper.

"I was having breakfast this morning and Lucy came in and sat with me." She explained, hugging her knees to her chest, convincing herself once again that this was the right thing to do. "She asked me to watch her purse, so I did. And I know it was wrong of me to do this, but I…I went searching through her purse because I think she's been acting strange lately and I found…that." She gestured to the paper in his hands and he unfolded it.

Upon opening it, he knew exactly what it was. He had seen tons of them in his line of work and as he read it, Misty could see the colour drain from his cheeks.

"Brock, I'm sorry…"

"Don't be…" He said, softly, looking at her with ambiguity and she couldn't tell if he was angry with her or not. But she could definitely see anger in her eyes. "This is not your fault. I just….I can't believe she's cheated on me…and…and the baby is not mine."

Quietly, she sat on her knees and placed both her hands on his shoulders, then rested her cheek against his back where she drank in his wonderful scent and closed her eyes. She loved him. She loved him so much that she could feel the hurt he was feeling as if he was emitting it from every pore.

Misty was a bit surprised when he grabbed her hand with his, then turned to face her. "I love you so much." He kissed her again and pushed back on to the bed where he then covered her body with his own.

The terrible secret Lucy was trying to hide was soon forgotten, he had pushed it out of his mind so easily because it didn't really matter. At least, it didn't matter as much as Misty did right now. He made love to her once again as if she was the only thing in his world.

And she was.

She spent the next couple of hours tangled up between him and the sheets. His sweat mixed with her own as their bodies intertwined together. It was so good and so magical that it brought tears to her eyes. Tears of pure happiness and contentment.

How could anyone on earth ever make her feel this way? Misty wondered as she looked up at him before he rolled off of her, immediately pulling her into his arms and kissing her again.

"I love you." Brock promised her breathlessly as she heard his rapid heartbeat thump in his chest. "I really do."

Misty looked up at him, feeling suddenly very sleepy. "I love you, too." She promised him back with a lazy smile and she felt him brush his hand across her bare stomach.

"We're going to give this little guy a very good life." He whispered to her. The sun was beginning to set and the room was cast in a dark blue hue as twilight was chasing away the sun.

She looked up at him, knowing exactly what he meant. He was going to leave Lucy and now he finally had a reason to. "How do you know it's going to be a boy?"

"Every man wants a son." He admitted with a grin. "But, hey, if it's not, we can always try again."

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her again, but their blissful moment was short-lived. There was a knock at the door.

Brock felt his heart leap in his throat and he looked over at Misty who had already gathered her discarded clothes. He stopped her. "No need to hide this any longer." He told her with a smile and then he called out. "Who is it?"

"Uhm, it's Ash…"

Misty felt relief wash over her and she never thought she'd be happy to hear from Ash, but she was grateful it wasn't Lucy.

Brock pulled on his jeans and Misty quickly got dressed before he opened the door. However, Ash didn't seem like he came over for just a regular friendly visit. He seemed tense and uneasy, as if he was unsure of why he was there. Or maybe it was because he had pretty much walked in on such an intimate moment and he knew it.

Ash tried his best look away from him, but he had failed to put on his shirt and with every glance it only reminded himself that he was gay. Brock was a very good-looking man and he wondered why hell he even wanted to sleep with a woman in the first place. If he hadn't been lying to himself, he wouldn't even be involved in this mess.

Misty had failed to look him in the eye and Ash decided it would be best if he didn't come in the room.

"So, Ash, do you usually come barging into people's houses?" Brock asked, jokingly, a little displeased with the fact he just walked in.

The younger boy gave him a small laugh and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I knocked several times, but no one answered. I guess that's because you were…" He trailed off and shook his head. "I…I got a little worried, and the door was unlocked so I just came in. I heard voices from in this room so…I decided I would knock."

Sighing, Brock shook his head and folded his arms as he leaned against the doorframe. "If you knew what I was doing, don't you think you could have come by another time?"

Misty quietly watched their conversation. Somehow, she knew why Ash was there. He was there to tell him that Lucy's baby was really his. Brock couldn't see it, but she could. After all, she was _married_ to the man. She knew his mannerisms, the way he laughed when he was nervous, the way his forehead would crinkle when he had something important but very hard to say.

"Well, this…this is kind of important…." Ash responded, unsurely. "In fact, it's very hard for me to tell you."

"Ash, we've been friends for years. You can tell me anything." Brock promised him, giving him a slight nudge on the shoulder. "I mean, I told you about Misty and I. Surely you can tell me what's bugging you. Tracy giving you trouble?"

Ash shook his head.

"What is it?" He was becoming curious by now.

Ash's entire body shook with fear and hesitation, but he was working hard to muster up to the courage. Finally, he opened his mouth to tell him something that would definitely end their friendship, but then he heard Lucy enter the house and he let out a breath.

When he heard the clicking of her heels on the expensive wooden floor as she climbed the stairs, Brock lost interest in whatever Ash had to say. His only focus now was confronting Lucy.

Lucy could read his eyes and she laid her shopping bags down by the door. She thought it was strange that Ash was here, Misty stood by the wall as if she was expecting a fight and Brock was almost naked.

"Did I…miss something?" She asked curiously and without a word, she watched her husband walk into the other room. Something in his manner made her nervous and she noticed the rumpled sheets on Misty's bed and the way she looked at Brock.

"Can you explain this to me?" Brock handed her that same piece of paper and immediately Ash recognized it. He suddenly felt dizzy and he resisted the urge to run. He couldn't just run away from this. It was his child, rather Lucy wanted him to be a part of it or not.

"I…I…how did you find this?" Lucy stammered, looking over at Brock.

"I showed it to him." Misty spoke up, feeling a sudden jolt of bravery. Her anger had long overtaken her hesitation. "How could you lie to him like that?"

"This is none of your business!" The dark-haired woman crumpled the paper in her hands and let it fall to the floor. "How dare you interfere in my marriage?"

"You don't give a damn about him, Lucy!"

"Oh, and you do?"

"You're damn right I do!" Misty clenched her fist and resisted the urge to punch her.

"Grow up! Just because your marriage failed and your pregnant by some asshole who doesn't give a fuck about you doesn't mean you have to come in and mess with _my_ marriage or _my_ man!" Lucy folded her arms and looked towards Brock, but there was no evidence of love in his eyes. In fact, it was still nothing but anger. "Brock, tell her…"

"Lucy, get out of my house."

Her eyes went wide and she looked towards Ash, as if he held answers that she knew he didn't possess. "What?"

"You're not going to speak to Misty like that and you're not going to get away with cheating on me. Get out of my house." Brock didn't raise his voice, but those words made her feel as if she was about to cry. How could he do this to her after four long years of marriage? How could Misty rat her out like this after such a long friendship?

Lucy wiped away a tear on her face, feeling thoroughly embarrassed. "How can you do this to me? I'm pregnant…you can't kick a pregnant woman out on the street. That's the whole reason that little bitch is here!"

"No one ever said I was nice." His voice was gruff and uncaring and Lucy could see he had lost all the love he did have for her. "I don't love you. I never really did. And you won't be on the street. Your mother lives in Celadon City. Go stay with her. I don't care."

She began to cry and Misty wasn't sure if she should feel guilty or not. Never had Misty thought Brock could be so harsh, but she had to remember that stone-cold Flint Harrison was his father and he had inherited some of his apathy. It was such a contrast from the warm, caring, and loving man that she had just shared a bed with.

"You…really don't love me?"

"No." He answered, folding his arms as if to tell her he was serious.

Lucy's angered glare landed on Misty and she straightened her posture and dried her tears. "Damn you! You have to come in and ruin everything!" She charged towards her and started punching her with her fists, grabbing her hair and kicking her.

Misty tried hard to fight back and tried her best to protect her baby. Had Lucy lost her mind?

"Hey! Hey! Don't touch her!" Brock grabbed onto Lucy's arms, effectively making her scream out in pain. She let get of Misty and glared back at Brock who had both her wrists in a death grip.

"Let me go, Brock! I'm going to teach that little whore a lesson!"

"Don't talk about her like that! Damn it!" His grip tightened slightly and Lucy winced in pain, finally begging him to let her go. And he did. "And don't you ever touch her like that again! She's pregnant! And so are you! What the fuck is your problem?"

"Why do you care so much about her baby?" Lucy tried hard to catch her breath and suppress her anger.

"Because the baby is mine!" He finally confessed it and Lucy was stunned. She wanted to charge at Misty again, but Brock wouldn't allow her to do that.

"You…you're sleeping with her?"

"Yes! Yes! I am! But you can't say anything about it because apparently you're having an affair to!" He picked up the balled up paper and threw it at her.

"It's not an affair! It was a one time thing!"

"With who, Lucy? Huh?" Brock threw his hands up and shook his head.

Ash became tense and fidgeted nervously as he stood against the wall and he could feel Misty's eyes on him. He knew she could read him very well and he eyed her nervously. She knew…

She knew…

He closed his eyes tight and shook his head.

"It doesn't matter!" Lucy shouted back

"Of course it matters! I want to find out who was fucking my wife so I can go drop you off on their doorstep and get your out of my damn house!"

Lucy began to cry again and she sank down to the floor in shame, covering her face with her hands. "Oh, Brock, I'm sorry….I'm sorry."

"Save your apologies."

Ash pushed himself from the wall. He couldn't stand this anymore. "Brock, don't upset her."

"Excuse me?"

"I said don't upset her!" Ash repeated himself firmly. Lucy looked up at him, a bit surprised. "She's pregnant! You don't want her to have a miscarriage do you?"

Brock quirked an eyebrow and folded his arms. "And why do you care?"

"Uh…uh…well…" He looked away and mustered his courage. He was the father to this child, and he was going to take care of it, even if he could never be with the mother. Looking his best friend straight in the eye, he told him the secret that would end their friendship possibly forever. "The baby is mine."

The confession hung in the air a few moments and Lucy could feel her entire body shaking. She covered her face with her hands and tried to conceal her shame. Misty was still reeling from the fact that she had been right all along, and then she thought about how hurt she was that Ash had slept with Lucy. If women repulsed him so much why her?

Then she looked at Brock. It didn't even matter anymore. She had fallen completely in love with Brock and, strangely, she didn't feel angry.

"Get out, Lucy. Ash, you too." Brock did not raise his voice and he stood against the wall, both of his arms crossed. Ash was the most surprised by his reaction as he led Lucy down the stairs.

"W-what about my clothes?" She had asked, but Brock quickly answered for her.

"I'll drop them off later. I hope you two are happy." His eyes burned holes into her. They were full of so much anger and contempt and finally, she looked away wishing she could take that one-night stand with Ash Ketchum back.

But everyone knows you can't go back in time.


	9. Somebody Must Be Praying For Me

Chapter 18

Two months had passed since Lucy had moved out. The divorce was final after six weeks and shortly after that, Misty had found out she was having a baby girl.

It was three days before Christmas and it was snowing outside.

She peeked her head into the room, the same one she had stayed in when she had moved in, to see Brock was busy painting the walls a glossy shade of pink. A crib sat pressed against the wall, and even though it had a lot of work to be done before their baby arrived, Misty couldn't help but feel excited.

"Hey," she smiled at him and he turned around. The smell of paint was overwhelming to her as she walked in. "You've got a lot of work done."

"Yep. I'm going to get Forest to help me out. There is no way I'm going to get all of this done in time…" Brock put the paint roller down and looked at the freshly painted walls and the floor that was covered with a paint-splashed tarp. He put his arm around her and smiled. "So, what do you think?"

"It looks great," Misty leaned her head on him and sighed contently. "Oh, I almost forgot. I picked out a name."

"Oh, what is it?"

"What do you think of Ciara Rose?" She asked.

"I love it. Where did you come up with it?"

"Well, I've always liked the name Ciara and Rose was my mother's name." She watched him take her hands into his and he kissed her softly.

They heard the front door open, followed by Lola Harrison's voice. "Brock? Are you home?"

Rolling his eyes, he walked out of the room and leaned over the balcony above the staircase. "Up here, Mom."

Smiling, Lola rushed up the steps with shopping bags weighing down her arms. "Forest told me you were setting up a nursery. I bought over some things. I bought some toys and clothes and bottles for the baby. You're going to need a lot. Hello Misty."

"Hello Mrs. Harrison."

"Call me Lola." She offered sweetly, and pushed past Brock to see the room. "Oh, doesn't this look marvelous? Brock, you've outdone yourself."

"It's not done yet."

"I can see that, Silly." Lola beamed happily at the crib. "Oh, isn't this cute? I can't wait until my little granddaughter gets here. I'm going to take her out for ice cream and go shopping and bake cookies and--"

"Mom…" Brock interrupted her. His mother always got so excited when talking about babies, especially little girls. "I have to go to the store and pick up some more paint. Do you think you could stay here and keep Misty company?"

Misty looked at him, with a comical, horrified expression.

"Oh, I'd love to. I can show you cute hairstyle ideas for her. I even bought some ribbons for her hair…"

The snow that had fallen had collected on top of his truck and he quickly brushed it away before pulling himself out of the driveway with some resistance. It was well below freezing and he watched as his neighbors built snowmen out in their front yards.

It was way to cold for anyone to be outside and he figured he was half crazy for going out in it himself. But he found himself just as anxious and excited about his new baby as his mother was. He had been waiting along time for this, and it had turned out better than he had ever imagined.

After finding another can of pink paint, which he would have never thought of buying in another situation, he quickly made it back into his truck, praying it would start. The wind was so cold that it literally took his breath away and he watched as other people left the store, pulling their coats up around their noses to try and block out the harsh wind.

For some reason, he thought of Neal Dash. He hadn't spoken to the man in months. Not since the fall when he had found Misty's ring on that park bench. He checked his watch and he figured his mother was keeping Misty occupied with her motherly advice.

He had time to stop by the homeless shelter on his way back, and that's where he headed.

It was a rather large building and the inside of it smelled of cafeteria food. People of all ages sat at long rows of tables. Some were eating. Some were playing cards to keep themselves occupied. Some were just conversing.

And he thought about what their Christmas going to be like. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, then approached the front desk.

A young woman sat behind the glass, with long blond hair and a pretty face. "Hello, sir. Can I help you?"

"I was wondering, could I make a donation?" He asked, then he scanned the room for Neal, but there was no sign of him.

"Of course." She smiled at him and adjusted her glasses. "How much?"

"Five hundred." He wrote her a check and passed it to her across the marble counter.

"That's very generous of you, Sir." The young woman commented, taking the check from him. "Thank you so much and Merry Christmas."

He nodded. "Merry Christmas." He was about ready to turn away, but he couldn't get the thought of the old man from his mind. Was he here? Surely he wasn't living in a flimsy cardboard box out in this kind of weather. He would freeze to death.

"Excuse me," Brock asked again, getting the young woman's attention once again. "Can you tell me if there is a Neal Dash who comes here occasionally?"

The blond woman nodded and pulled out a booklet from underneath her desk. After a few minutes of searching for the name, she stopped and then looked up. "Did you say Neal Dash?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Old man. Always wore a Beret?"

"That's the one."

The young woman looked down at the paper again then back up at him. "I'm terribly sorry, Sir. But he committed suicide on the East Street Bridge about four years ago."

Brock felt the colour drain from his face. "No, that's…that's impossible. I just talked to him about three or four months ago."

"You must be mistaken." The woman told him solemnly.

"Yea…" He looked down at his feet; he knew he wasn't mistaken. This whole time he had been talking to the ghost of a man. A spirit. A guardian angel. "Thank you." He told her, then quickly left.

On the drive home he saw the city of Landview was completely covered in a white blanket, and he knew he'd never need to hear from Neal Dash again. When he walked through his front door and saw Misty standing there to greet him, he took her his arms and hugged her tight.

And he thought…

_Somebody must be praying for me. _

_----Fin_


End file.
